Doctor Who and the Diclonius
by Izzy Raimi
Summary: A Seven Part Adventure with the 4th Doctor. Doctor Who finds Lucy in 2007 Kamakura, only to witness her murdering four other people. With an offer to Lucy to become a companion, the two's friendship is put to the ultimate test through psychological terror, horror, and non-stop action.
1. Part One

**DOCTOR WHO AND THE DICLONIUS**

A seven part adventure by Isaac "Izzy" Raimi and Mary Vitals

_**HISTORIAN'S NOTE:**__ The following story takes place one year after the Elfen Lied anime, and directly after the Doctor Who story, "the Invasion of Time"._

* * *

_"___He who fights monsters, __

__should see to it that he or she does not become a monster as well.__

__For when you gaze long into the Abyss...__

__The Abyss also gazes into you."__

_-Friedrich Nietzsche_

* * *

**PART ONE**

_"__Recent reports have been recording a line of grisly murderers across the Kanagawa Prefecture, mainly in the towns of Kamakura and Fujisawa. Authorities have yet to pin a single suspect or specific group associated with these deaths; citizens are asks to be indoors by nightfall and lock their doors for the sake of their own safety."_ _  
_

"Man, people get crazier every day. This sure is the end of the world it seems..."

"We can't even walk the streets without fear of losing our own lives!"

"Do you think they'll ever catch this killer?"

The chatter and mutterings of pedestrians could be listened in on, constant and monotonous. They all spoke of the same thing: the recent crimes. The trail of blood being left by a psychopath out for satisfaction. A small television attached to the wall played the news report for people riding the train to watch. It was late afternoon, and plenty of businessmen and children were on their way home from work and school. Little did they know, that they were all sharing company with the one who had commit these brutal crimes. Sitting by herself near one of the exits, Lucy kept a leg kicked over the other, staring at the ticket in her hands.

__Satoyama.__

Eyes narrowed, biting her tongue and not reacting to the chattering around her, focusing on herself. No matter, it was difficult nonetheless. _Oh how satisfying it would be to watch their limbs twist and tear, without a single lift of her hand._ _"__Stupid humans…_" The ride lasted for another forty minutes,before she finally boarded off, weaving through the plethora of children and adults.

* * *

A tall, curly haired man in a red-velvet frock coat, long striped scarf and floppy hat was engaged in a heated match. His opponent was one move away from winning another possible checkmate. If he were to place his queen just right, he could at least have the advantage…

It had only been a few weeks since he had left Gallifrey, but things were going along quite nicely. The TARDIS was in mid-flight, and he had installed an experimental randomizer on the console, leaving his next destination to the roll of the dice. For this man was no mere traveler. He was the mysterious traveler in time and space known only as the Doctor.

And he had moved his piece toward the other end of the board, with a grin on his face. He was laying on the floor of the TARDIS console room as he looked at his opponent across from him. His opponent happened to be robotic dog. The dog had a box-like design, red optics, a miniature satellite dish that sat in between the optics, swiveling satellite ears, and the words "K-9" embedded on its side.

"Queen to Knight 4, Master." The dog said.

With a raised eyebrow, the Doctor grabbed his opponent's piece and moved it to its desired location. "Checkmate." The dog said simply.

The Time Lord's eyes widened. "…What?" He said, looking at the board. "What do you mean checkmate?"

"Your king was left wide open. Machine computes checkmate in six moves, Master."

He shook his head in surprise. "Incredible…" He said to himself. "How come I can never beat you at this game, K-9?"

"You can answer that better than I, Master." K-9 responded. "You did program me to be efficient."

He smiled at his mechanical companion. "And one with good spirits." He said, petting K-9's head. "You're a good dog, K-9."

"Affirmative." K-9 said, nodding and wagging his wire tail.

With that, the console made a sound, signifying its landing. Getting up from the floor, the man checked the dimensional scanner to check his location.

"Well, now. It seems the TARDIS landed in Japan…" He said to himself. "Kanagawa Prefecture, Kamakura, Japan. Satoyama region." He grinned to himself. He landed in the country side! "26th of March, 2007. Not too distant into the future, then."

Just from the scanner's readings, it seemed to be a good time for a holiday, if anything. With a flip of the switch, the TARDIS doors opened.

"I'll be back in a while, K-9." He said.

"Affirmative."

The Doctor then walked out of the TARDIS, closing the doors behind him. He was greeted with a peaceful view of the countryside. There were rolling green hills, long roads, and very little hustle and bustle. Just the place to go to for a bit of peace and quiet.

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he leaned against the TARDIS's wooden paneling, enjoying the view and feeling the cool country breeze that swept across the land.

* * *

There was an ancient fable that was told to Japanese children, of horrible creatures known as the Oni; ghastly monsters who walked on two feet, with mangled hair, horns, and fangs. They preyed on whatever came across them, eating them up with their beast like maw, and spitting out the bones. Sometimes, they even devoured them whole.

These creatures caused disease, disaster, and woe among the Japanese, and were cursed for their destructive behavior.

Some of the more isolated villages in the Japanese countryside still lived wary of these beasts, performing spiritual rituals every year to quell their turmoil, and prevent any sort of misfortune on their people.

One specific phrase, _oya ni ninu ko wa oni no ko_, literally means "a child that does not resemble it's parents is the child of an oni."

And thus was the beginning of Lucy's image on the world.

Born with those wicked horns and pale complexion, a sickly child. Some folklore told that if an offspring was constantly sick, that it was actually a changling, the true child being spirited away by mischievous spirits, leaving their less than desired spawn.

Satoyama.

A phrase that applied to the countryside and foothills between two cities. There was a beautiful, wide expanse of land between Kamakura and the larger metropolises in the region. Lucy often found refuge in places that lacked a lot of human population.

Unbeknownst to her, however, was that she would wind up in a less-than-pleasant predicament.

Kiyokawa was the dictionary definition of a Satoyama village. Nestled in the mountains with a relitively small population, there was little to no uprising and upset in this area. Rarely they heard of true crime or sadness. It was the positive part of living away from the city.

Stepping out of the train, Lucy glanced around, noticing that the sun was already hanging low in the sky; no problem. She could navigate just fine without sunlight.

As she walked, there was no purpose, or objective in her mind.

Just walk.

Just wander.

_It's getting rather boring… Don't you want to have a little fun, Lucy? I'm sure you could come across one or two humans who could do without a limb…_ _  
_A hand slipped up, brushing locks of pink from her eyes, muttering aloud, "Not yet…"

Overall, the streets were bare, aside from a few families wandering here and there into shops and towards food stalls. Nothing out of the ordinary; the only difference between here and Kamakura would be the lack of oceanic view.

"No! Stop that! That's not fair!"

A shrill voice? That of a younger boy.

Cranking her head every so slightly, the Diclonius took notice of a youth, who could only be eight or nine years old, being rough housed by a group of older children.

"Oh boo hoo! You lost fair and square! Now hand over your money and we'll leave you be," the tallest one taunted, holding the lithe child in a tight grip.

Lucy's eyes narrowed, shaking her head slight as she passed by.

"H-hey! Miss! MISS! Can you help me?!"

A desperate shout.

"…"

Words did not slip from her lips, rather, she only stared. An uneasy stare, at that.

_Why not…_

Of course, the boy would not know that this being would assist him. No no, she would not make it apparent that she was here! There was more than one way to skin a cat… Either violently, or with discrete technique.

Lucy wandered forward, listening to thechidingof the older boys, no sign of stopping in her tracks; three vectors at the ready, slipping to their heads—

And then, three distinct thumps on the ground, without an outward sign of hostility.

They simply had fallen, not stirring any longer; a single movement of a vein in their brains, and they had died.

* * *

A strange chill ran down the Doctor's spine as the sun began to set. This was the country! How could he be feeling something of dread? His Time Lord intuition would always seem to find something that was hidden underneath a peaceful blanket.

"…Something wicked this way comes…" He said to himself, quietly. He could feel the presence of some kind of malevolent force, like an everlasting blanket of darkness that swept though wherever it roamed. As if it blotted the very sun out from the sky, and silenced whomever may come across it.

Something wasn't right…

With peaked curiosity, he kicked himself off of the TARDIS's wall panel and made for the dirt path off to the side. He looked to his sides, and something had caught his eye.

A boy was running, with a look of terror on his face. It seemed like he had seen a ghost, as he ran what seemed to be a little faster than mere jogging. As the boy passed, he looked to where he ran from.

His eyes widened.

There were three bodies on the ground, slumped over as if they were sleeping. But something told the man otherwise…

Sprinting towards the bodies, he stopped short and examined them. He checked each of their pulses.

Nothing. All three were dead.

He then saw that they were young. They seemed to be about 13 to 14 years old each. They weren't ready to leave this world just yet…

Bowing his head, he mourned the dead children for but a minute. Opening his eyes, he examined the bodies once again. There was no sign of any trauma or wounds. Unless they had a heart attack or brain hemorrhage they couldn't have kicked the bucket like that. Could they have been poisoned…?

He then looked ahead. Walking away from the bodies was what looked like a young girl. She had pink hair, wore a pink shirt with what looked like a gray dress, and black leggings with loafers. On her head appeared to be what looked like a black cap.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of dread from the girl that walked away from the bodies. This wasn't a kind of aura that a human would have.

No. This was far more sinister…

* * *

"_Os iustiii… Meeddiitabiturr… Sapientiam…_"

Wherever the Diclonius went, she either hummed, or mentally thought of this song. Lyrics had been pieced together of time, but it all originated from a simple music box, heard by accident on a chance encounter many years ago.

The notes rose and fell, a sorrowful undertone to the sound as it came from her lips; and yet they sounded monotone, if anybody could hear. She kept quiet, uneasily quiet.

"They just fell over! Like nothing happened! And they were dead!"

That same boy who had been harassed and bullied was shouting to his parents, only half a block away. It seemed that he was out playing in the street with other children before those older boys came down upon and caused trouble.

"Sato, that's impossible! People don't just have heart attacks at the same time," his mother commented. Despite that, she was concerned. A sigh passed through, and she continued, "why don't you come inside for the rest of the night, dear…"

Now, Lucy halted in her steps, able to listen to the conversation between mother and son.

**Such an ungrateful little boy.**

Carrying on, the Diclonius continued her walk down the path, lined with trees and cozy houses. If she continued, she'd eventually wind up back in the market area— but what she WISHED to stumble on, would be an isolated place to relax.

… More than likely, chaos would continue to be stirred up before that was accomplished.

"— Hey miss."

…?

Lucy turned again, being addressed by a man in some sort of uniform. Was hepatrollinghis area? Or was he just here by chance?

Whatever the reason, she did not speak up; only her flat gaze was given as a response.

"There's a curfew around here, you need to get inside or to the station for safe housing. Haven't you heard the news? There's a lot of violence going on in the prefecture."

_Oh hhehehe, you're alone… You can have fun now. Go ahead. go on! He could cause trouble for you if you don't act now, Lucy. GO!_

And just as abrupt as the last action was, her vector proved to be the superior pawn in this game; a single swift movement, and the man was cut down, falling in two pieces, separated by the hips and torso.

The woman's head was down, walking past without a single word, or emotional reaction.

The Doctor's jaw dropped. It happened as if it were in a flash. The man who was talking to the girl somehow… just got _sliced_ into two!

Nothing even touched him! How could something like this happen?

Wait a moment… could she have killed the three boys?

"NO!" He shouted, as the man was cut down. As the girl continued to trudge, he sprinted full speed to the bisected corpse.

With a mortified look, he dropped to his knees. He had a clean cut across the hips and torso, the dirt path being stained by the corpse's blood and viscera. His eyes were still opened, as if he was caught by surprise and his look was frozen in time.

This man probably had a family…

With anguish, he looked to the girl. It _must_ have been her. No human, no _species_ he knew of could have bloodlust like that, and kill without laying a finger on them. The Daleks could, yes, but they were in greater numbers all the time.

This was one, though. And if there was one, could there be more…?

He slowly rose, and gazed at the girl who continued to walk.

"…Why?" He asked the girl. "Why did you kill them? They've done nothing to you, and they didn't deserve a fate like that. How could you take their lives away from them in one swift stroke?"

"…"

Once again, her steps were halted, only by the frantic voice of the onlooker. _Wonderful, will she have to dispose of this one as well?_ It was not as if this were the first time those words have been heard as a result of her maiming. It was all they wished to know.

Not whether or not there were some sort of background between herself and the victim.

Nor if they deserved it.

It was always, and always would be, **why**.

Humans were notorious for being two-faced when dealing with a threat. In a time of peace, the population could care less for each other. Nobody wanted to handle the cross and burdens of another, they simply wanted to take easy street, and mind their own business.

— And yet as soon as the welfare of another was put into danger, and another believed they they TOO could be heard, all of the sudden human life was held as a precious thing.

**How disgusting**. _How fake_.

At this point, the Diclonius Instinct had taken a stronghold on Lucy's mind, allowing her to tout a rather nasty attitude.

Slowly, her form turned, dahlia eyes lidded, and staring forward.

"_… __Had they still been alive, you would not care whether or not they'd die tomorrow_," the beast spoke, venom dripping from her mouth as she did so, "_you would not know. So why do you even care…_"

So much concentrated hatred.

And yet, all the while, a sense of true apathy. An uncaring attitude as to who mourned, and who would come to hate her for those crimes.

He could see the daggers that lay withing the girl's gaze. The very venom of her voice polluting the air between the Time Lord and the the girl. She had no empathy, no sympathy, nothing. It was as if she had no emotion to speak of. But she made one mistake. She _assumed_. His eyes matching her gaze, his brow became furrowed. His own eyes formed daggers as the two glared at each other.

"Don't you dare…" He said in a low, baritone voice. "Don't you even _dare_ to assume that I wouldn't care about the loss of life." He then advanced forward, slowly making his way to the girl. "Especially when I see it far so often." He kept his ground, and stood tall across from the killer. "How could you even think that? To think that I would not even care about what happens to someone whether they lived or died the next day? I've had far too many brushes with death to know that life itself is precious, and should be cherished by all living beings."

He then pointed to the four corpses behind him. "These people had families. Those children may have been just being their age. Yet you took a prospective life away from them. They'll never grow up, never fall in love, never feel happiness again!" His voice began to grow louder.

"I've watched entire civilizations burn, and many friends of mine have died. I watched the creation of a murderous race wipe out _their own_ race so theirs could wreak havoc across the cosmos! I care _so much _for all living beings, because I feel that _anyone _deserves a chance to live. Yet you… YOU have the outright _audacity_ to tell _me,__ someone_ who has seen and witnessed far darker things beyond your imagination… THAT I DON'T EVEN CARE!?"

The Doctor's eyes were widened in fury. "You know nothing about me! How dare you?" He then shouted at the top of his lungs. "HOW DARE YOU CONSIDER ME HEARTLESS!? Don't _ever_ call me that!"

All of the shouting, the abrupt explosion of emotion due to a chemical reaction of anger and disbelief was taken in stride. All of this? The entire view towards her words and actions? It had happened before. Lucy was barely phased— especially when this mad man began to tout and preach about watching civilizations perish, the universe, the cosmos, and all that was life.

She had bumped heads with the outright insane before, but this, all of THIS, it just took the cake. There she stood, apathetic and without so much BLINKING as she was scolded. And as all of it was wrapped up? A brow was arched up, her voice assaulting the now bitter nighttime air.

"Have you finished shouting yet…? Tch…" Lucy turned, not caring whether or not he expected some sort of answer. Truth be told, the Diclonius just flat out held no care for this man's qualms. There had only been one scenario where she felt true sorrow and regret for her actions, and that had been many, many years ago, when the woman thought that it was possible for humans to forgive.

—Of course, all of that came to a head, and at the end of the day, one does not forgive somebody for murder.

With spectral, macabre movement, it was almost unsettling to the stomach how unnatural Lucy's reactions and emotions were at that moment. Who else could take the lives of three children and a nameless man, and not even lift a finger? Any sane individual would bear that burden for the rest of their lives.

And Lucy?

Well, that was definitely NOT the first time that she had killed for nearly no reason.

"Yelling will not bring those vile things back to life," the Diclonius spoke bitterly.

"I suggest you leave me be…_ Unless you want to join them_."

With that, Lucy continued her meandering on the path, only expecting to followed once more.

The Doctor's eyes widened by his own emotion. He had never lost control like that before. Not even to the Daleks own creator, Davros. Not even to all of the Cyber-Leaders who lead the Cybermen against their conquests of assimilation. Not even to the Time Lords themselves for their constant meddling in his own business.

As she finished her threat and began to walk away, the Doctor kept to her trail, not leaving her to kill again. He would not let this beautiful countryside become a murderous playground of destruction and bloodshed.

"You think that I don't know that?" He asked the girl as they walked. "I could shout to the high heavens all I want, and they'll never come back. I've known that pain all too well..."

He continued to walk closer to her, gradually closing the distance between the two. The Time Lord sighed. "Forgive me for that outburst, earlier. I've just not seen someone so bitter before. I hadn't seen anyone hold that much contempt for a human life since…" He almost mentioned the Daleks, but he would save that story for another time. "…I've just not seen something like that on Earth for some time."

The Doctor's voice took a sombre tone. "It saddens me that you truly think of such things. That you would just kill without provocation." He pushed his hat back. "Why do you do it? Why do you kill? Do you enjoy it? Is it something that gives you peace of mind every time you take a life?"

How predictable. Now that Lucy had put on her display and allowed this man to know that she would be not phased, he now decides to 'behave' and act civil. Funny how human mentality worked. If one upping them in emotional stability was not viable, then harboring a submissive and open-minded attitude usually, if not always, was put up.

Perhaps he was speaking in order to prevent himself from another outburst? Maybe, in that mind of his, the man thought that if he continued to speak, that this murderous renegade would eventually pick out something that she deemedinterestingenough to speak about.

—And, then again, there was the subject of continuing to try and figure out just **WHAT** her motive was.

There were plenty, oh, PLENTY of things that Lucy could use to answer that question.

_Nobody knows when death comes along. It's natural. Why should I be demonized for being the one to deal it?_

_It is my purpose. It is in my genetics. It is in my code. My entire purpose in life is to bring an end to humanity._

_They all deserved it. In the end, those children and that man were all evil._

Yet, despite all of those answers?

"… Because—"

Lucy did not turn her head as she answered, "—it is simply what I do. And before you ask why, **trust me.**" Those last two syllables were harsh, "_I've tried to work alongside their filth_. They're not a very welcoming bunch."

What sort of person could possibly hold enough loathing that it would force them to forsaken an entire race?

The Doctor only stuffed his hands in his pockets as he made his way to the girl's side. Looking downward, he dared not to make eye contact with her. She was calming down. Well, as calm as a murderer would be.

"Humans tend to fear what they don't understand, more often than not." He said. "When it comes to people who are glaringly different from them, they usually try to exclude those that don't fit with them."

He then looked back up to the stars. "Granted, there are the select few that welcome those that are different. People that don't care what you are, or who you are, they still accept you. Although…" He then gazed back down. "Sometimes it pains even _me_ that most human society hasn't changed in that regard."

The Doctor then looked at the girl. "There's no reason to kill, though." He said. "Most humans are innocent, and they can't help with how they act. When you get past that, they are a fantastic race."

He then put a hand on her shoulder. "You're certainly different." He said. "I knew at once. You're not human, and I'm not saying that because you're a killer. I can see that you are indeed something else. Something of a different species."

He then gave her shoulder a pat. "I know you don't really trust me, now. But I'm different, too. I know what it's like to be different amongst humans. But there's no reason to kill. If it means anything…" He then paused before smiling. "I can actually help you."

"_You speak as if you are not one of them yourself, yet you have the striking and obvious appearance of one… Never before in my life have I witnessed somebody mourning the lost life of a human when they were not one_," Lucy retorted, the emotion in her voice not changing at all; it only continued holding little to no interest in the conversation— or, at least, that is how one would judge it from the outside looking in. The renegade had never been one to be emotionally extroverted, even as a child when one is supposedly free ofworldlyburdens. It had always been a cookie-cutter response, in order to avoid any sort of attachments and investments into things that did notguaranteeto always be around.

Or perhaps, it was due to Lucy not wanting to show any sort of weakness. When you are the member of a race that is hated by humanity, and viewed as a hazard to all of the living, it takes a lot of spine to be able to stand proud, and not care about what the 'primates' have to say.

Thus was the life of a woman who greeted hatred and malice as if it were an old friend.

"_… __You are correct when you say that I am not human. How simple it is to harbor one or two minute differences, and they will immediately consider you something that does not belong._"

The initial difference was in the mutation's appearance. As an infant, the Diclonius was born with tiny horns growing from her skull, not too noticeable from a distance. Doctors would probably be able to remove them, or believe that hair could grow over the bony structures over time. That happened _not_ to be the case. Over the years, they would grow until they were definitive on her head, leading to much taunting of her fellow company. Before it led to that point, she was abandoned at a young age, brought in by the Kamakura Orphanage.

Lucy never did learn of the whereabouts of her mother— but her father— that was all dealt with by herself.

"So, what of it?" the Doctor asked. "Is this what you live for? Your entire purpose in life?"

"My purpose..." The girl paused, before closing her eyes. "_My entire purpose is to bring an end to human life,_" Lucy mutters, her gaze looking onward, focusing on nothing.

When it comes to the Diclonius, she was a rather calm and harmonious individual at a young age, but all of that gradually changed the more she was damned by humans. The world pushed her—-

and Lucy pushed back.

—_And society was twisted enough to cry out '_**Monster**_'!_

The Doctor then stepped in front of Lucy to stop her from her aimless wandering. He looked at her up and down, and put his hands on her shoulders. Her gaze was fixated downward, for if the demon looked at you, death would befall you within an instant.

That was a risk the Doctor was willing to take.

"My dear, look at me." He said. "I've known many races who say that their sole purpose is to bring about the end of all life. Not just human. I've tried to get them to see that killing is never the answer, and unfortunately, they don't listen, and they became my enemies." He then saw her vacant expression. It seemed like she taught herself to hold back all emotion throughout her life, and become the very monster society made her out to be.

"You, however…" He said. "You still have a chance. You've only seen the dark side of humanity. A side that should never be seen by someone of a young age like you. There's no reason to have a purpose like that, when there's so much you've yet to discover."

He then flashed a toothy grin to her. "You're right. I'm actually _not_ human, either. In fact, I'm not even from this planet to begin with." He then gazed upward to the sky, as the sun began to set, and the stars began to make themselves known.

"Take a look at the sky."

He smiled as the both of them looked upward. "There are many races and many planets out there. Some that are peaceful, some that are xenophobic, and some that have the same destructive mindset as you do. Every second or so, entire planets are burning and warring against each other. We're just a mere speck on the radar, you and I. But when you see everything I see, you'll start to believe…" He then looked down at the girl. "That all life is precious and should be treasured. Not snuffed out of existence because one race wronged you."

The Time Lord looked into the killer's eyes, expression still vacant, but fixated on him. "And I can help you see that. For you see, I'm the Doctor. And a man of that name should help those that are in need of assistance."

He flashed a toothy grin to the girl. "Do you have a name, per chance?"

When was the last time that somebody had a serious conversation with the renegade Diclonius? It almost never happened. The very first time that she could consider an exchange of words as something ASIDE from taunting, was the day that she was brought into the Kakuzawa Facility. Chief Kurama had managed to lull the girl into his clutches, by promising the safe recovery of a human that she had been protecting for a while.

But when that promise was not fulfilled? The woman's rage became more eminent, even stronger.

The second, would be between herself, and Kouta, the boy who looked past Lucy's horns and vectors, and saw the young, lonely girl within on that warm summer day, all those years ago. This encounter was held a decade later, on the winding steps of Kamakura Cemetery. Kouta had listened to Lucy's plea for forgiveness, and accepted it for the time being— only to let her go.

Any other time, Lucy was spoken down to like an animal, and a common criminal. The workers within the facility gave her simple commands and exchanges of words whenever she was tested on, or her containment chamber changed. It was almost as if a simple difference in appearancecategorizedthe Diclonius as unable to communicate with human kind.

So of course, when this man who called himself 'the Doctor' began a civil, normal dialogue— despite the fact that just MOMENTS ago, she had slain four innocent lives— it was a culture shock. Though it did not show in Lucy's eyes, her mind was caught off guard. It was a fatherly sort of voice, one that she had never dealt with in her life.

Lifting her chin lightly, the dahlia hues glanced at the stars, just as she was asked to do. It had been a while since a moment was taken to just admire her surroundings. The world really was a colorful and strange place— but it was covered with far too much prejudice and horror for Lucy to ever see past the bad. Because of the way she was brought up, the mutation believed the world was simple rotten.

Believe…

"_I had a name once, but it's long forgotten… I've gone by the name that _**they**_ gave me. Lucy_."

A play on two concepts; primarily, the skeletal missing link between humanity and their past evolutionary line. But it was also a reference to the demon king himself, Lucifer. The scientists there found it to be fitting, and somewhat comedic. Give the horned girl a PROPER name, one that is becoming of her appearance.

The Doctor flashed a toothy grin towards the girl who called herself Lucy. "Such a lovely name." He said, before tipping his hat. "How do you do, Lucy?"

He then looked behind Lucy and saw the four corpses that lay on the ground. There was someone walking along the path, too. No doubt he would notice the pile of bodies within a few moments.

The Doctor's grin faded and gazed to Lucy's eyes. "Listen to me very carefully, Lucy." He said. "We've got to get you out of here. There's already incriminating evidence against you, and I'm not ready to see you jailed yet. Not when you have an opportunity to change." He then put an arm around her, leading her to walk with him. "Come on. I'll take you to where I live. It's not safe here."

He then lead the both of them off of the path, hoping they would reach the TARDIS without much of a confrontation.

And in under a split second, the mood shifted from lax, to fight-and-flight mode once again. Fortune for Lucy, she had been in this situation plenty of times beforehand. Running from the law for nearly five years before she was detained, the Diclonius was an expert at getting away. It did not take long before shouts could be heard far behind them. "WAIT! SIR! Bring that woman back, we need to speak with her right now!" **Damn**. "_Here we go_," she muttered under her breath, "there will be too many of them to just beat them on foot." Lucy reached, grabbing onto the man's jacket. It was no surprise that the Diclonius was quick on her feet, dragging the Doctor with great speed before allowing two vectors to appear, slamming the ground and shooting them up into a tree. By then, they had allowed enough distance so that any suspicious people would not be able to see them. "_Don't say a word_."

He was just about to ask how she did that but was cut off by her stern command. With a curt nod, the Doctor stilled his tongue, and kept a lookout for anyone that may come their way.

It seemed that it wasn't just one person that was out and about tonight. There must be about three or four people right now, and with the bodies on the path, there would no doubt be more on the way.

He noticed that Lucy was also watching the area like a hawk. Surveying their surroundings in case anyone would come their way. This was going to be a nightmare. They're out in the open, and there would no doubt be emergency responders on the way for the corpses.

They both needed to act, but the Doctor would prefer that they did so without any more casualties. If the girl was able to slice someone in half in one clean stroke, there's no telling what she'd do if there were twenty people.

It was clear. The body count _needed_ to be low, if at all, non-existent.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a two way radio for K-9.

"K-9, listen to me." He whispered. "A friend and I are currently trapped and have no place to go. I'm going to activate a beacon. If you can, can you tell the TARDIS to materialize to my location as soon as it locks on to my signal?"

"Affirmative, Master." Came a quick reply to the radio.

"Good." He said. "Wait for my signal, K-9."

He then closed the channel and stuffed it in his pocket. Keeping a close eye on the group of people, he put a hand on Lucy's shoulder.

"There's too many people." He said. "I'll get you out of here, but you have to promise me not to kill anybody. I would prefer that we shifted away like ghosts without a paper trail. Can you do that for me, Lucy?"

"It seems we have lost our target," one man speaks, beginning to turn on flashlights now that the sun had sighed and fallen beneath the canopy. There were now six officers present; one in particular appeared to be some sort of higher rank. "Stay persistent… if this murderer is what we think it is, then we will need all of the back up we can get. Thesehomicidesappear similar to the ones thatoccurredin Kamakura," he spoke lowely, his stride proud and prepared to face whatever could possibly jump out at them. Lucy's eyes narrowed, watching their every step. Oh how her Instinct was ACHING and SCREAMING in the back of her mind. It wanted it. It wanted blood. It wanted despair and pain. But no, no no no, not now! That would bring unneeded attention. Instead, she sunk where she perched, eyes never leaving those men. "You mean the beheadings and delimbings that happened over the summer?! There's a rumor going around that there were these freaky girls with horns stickin' outta their heads causing these murders," another commented, looking to the higher ranked officer. "Let's not jump to conclusions… We better pray that it is NOT that case." Eventually, the group would meander out of eyesight, and it was safe to speak up once again. But before Lucy could get a word out, the scarved man took the liberty of informing the Diclonius on what to do. "Yes, of course… They shouldn't see us by now, and so I have no reason of disposing them," the horned one responded with a solemn nod.

"Good." Said the Doctor. He noticed that the group was gone. They needed to escape while the timing was still good. "I think it's time, Lucy. You're just about to see how different I am." He then pulled out what looked like a remote control with a single button. With a press on the button, it started to flash a small red light.

After ten or so seconds, a "vworp" sound echoed across the landscape. And within an instant, the Doctor could hear the familiar sound of the TARDIS's engines as the blue Police Box began to materialize just below them. With its characteristic "thud", the TARDIS fully materialized, and the light on top stopped blinking.

He flashed a toothy grin to the Police Box. "Perfect landing. The Old Girl does make me proud sometimes."

The Doctor then jumped down, landing in front of the TARDIS door. He noticed that Lucy followed suit, and landed in a crouched position, cushioning her own fall.

"Well, Lucy. This is my home." He said, patting the blue wooden paneling. "This is my ship. The TARDIS."

—Lucy's mentality had made a radical turn from quiet and serious, RIGHT into flummoxed and taken by surprise. What in the world was this man doing?! Had he just conjured some sort of— transportation device with a single button? She had heard that technology was seeing some fascinating and huge improvements in this day and age, but NEVER had Lucy seen something of THAT nature before.

Eyes widened, brows furrowed in confusion, her head tilting every so carefully to the side. It appeared to be a police box, like she had seen in history and worldgeography books as a child. What could this man known as the 'Doctor' possibly do with one of this?

For starters, he called it the TARDIS, not a police box. Perhaps the Diclonius had misread that bit of information as a child.

"… You live… In a _box_?"

As naive as that statement sounded, Lucy was very surprised by all of this. Well, she may be damned. This man had a HUGE possibility of truly being something not of this world.

Her vectors assisted in a neat landing, a pair of hand prints left behind afterwards.

"Well, not necessarily a box." He said. "Of course, the Old Girl tends to favor this design a lot. I think it's very becoming of her." The Doctor turned to face Lucy who was looking at the box in wonder.

"But it's so much more than that, my dear." The Time Lord then reached around his neck for the key he wore around his neck. He then slid the key into the lock, and unlocked the door. Pushing the door open, he held it for Lucy to enter first.

"After you." He said with a toothy grin.

A solemn nod, and Lucy followed the man's wishes, stepping lightly and carefully, as if at any moment the ground beneath her would fall through. Partially due to the fact that was this point in time, she was debating whether or not this entire encounter was a dream. It sure did follow the standards of a few that she had in the past; falling through the floor would only add on to the speculation. —Rather, INSTEAD, upon entering this alien craft, eyes landed on something much more intricate andsplendidon the inside, something that should NOT be possible. For one, it was MUCH bigger and wider than it appeared from the initial outside look. Could it even be possible to hold this much space in something build to hold a simple communication device in reality?! How had he done it?! Bright colors shined, the sound of equipment humming here and there— and all of it existed within the four walls of a wooden police box. "_How in the world_…?!"

The Doctor formed a wide toothy grin across his lips as Lucy became enamored by the TARDIS interior. It was safe to say that she expected nothing less except the four inner corners of a Police Box, but she found something so much more than that.

Instead, what Lucy walked into was a white room, with roundels on the walls. In one corner was a hatstand, and on one wall was a covered viewscreen, a door sitting next to that.

In the center of the room was the console, showing different buttons, levers, switches, and smaller monitors. Sitting in the center of the console was a column. The Time Rotor that sat patiently until the Doctor input the coordinates for the next trip.

Closing the doors behind him, he walked next to the pink haired girl. "Not quite what you expected, eh, Lucy?" He asked.

When she was younger, Lucy had read up on books pertaining to all sorts of subjects. One genre that she had found interesting was science fiction, and the concepts of the future. Had she been any younger, the Diclonius would have guessed that she stumbled into a fever dream concerning one of the books that were read earlier.

Though, it was doubtful that a dream would be this lucid.

"I can't say that I expected the laws of physics to be denied when stepping in," Lucy commented, glancing here and there to look at everything that the wide expanse of room had to offer. She walked along, carefully touching things with the very tips of her fingers, just to make sure that nothing was knocked over, or possibly broken.

"—But how is any of this possible?!"

The Doctor laughed as he watched Lucy look over the console room in child-like wonder. "I can assure you, the laws of physics are not broken Lucy. In fact, this is merely involved with relative dimensions." He went over to the console, monitoring the TARDIS while watching Lucy ran her hands over the console.

"You see, TARDIS stands for Time and Relative Dimension in Space. The insides and outsides are not in the same dimension, and what you see outside is merely a disguise. It's own dynamic camouflage, if you will."

The Doctor pressed a few buttons to stabilize a few systems. "What we're in right now is a separate dimension, that fits inside a small object. A transcendental dimension." The Time Lord explained. "The room we're in is the console room. This is where I pilot the TARDIS."

Essentially, this should not be possible, at least, from what was taught in public school. How any of this was accomplished was clearly due to the fact that this man going by the name of the 'Doctor' was an alien, not of this planet. Wherever he was from, their way of life must be FAR more advanced than here on earth. it was flummoxing none the less; the only technology that Lucy was educated in were the machines and controls that were put into Kakuzawa Facility. And that was only because of listening in while being experimented on. "—But what is the purpose of all of this?" Turning her head, the Diclonius blinked, her expression just a little more 'lively' than usual. "Do you just… Wander existence, here alone? And for what reason were you here in this country? Was all of it planned? Or was it just… Chance?"

The Doctor could very well tell the stark difference in attitude that Lucy had from just moments ago. To think, she was murderous, callous, and very well dripping with hatred for humanity from what the Doctor could see. Now, she was anything but. Feelings of strong curiosity and wonder taking its hold on the girl as she turned to face the Time Lord, blinking in confusion.

"The purpose, Lucy?" He asked. "Simple. To explore. Well, I like exploring, anyway. I can't really say for the other people of my race. They're far too stiff. I usually prefer to go on long holidays to different planets and time periods."

He then walked away from the console, looking at Lucy in the eyes. "I'm honestly not here for any reason at all. I merely happened to arrive here by absolute chance." He then pointed to a device on the console. "You see, I installed a new device in the TARDIS recently. It's called a Randomizer. Once it's set, it locks on to the first planet and time period within the TARDIS's coordinate banks."

He then shrugged. "It was all simple coincidence, really. The TARDIS just detected this place and time, and popped me down here." The Time Lord then crossed his arms. "Though, to be fair, I was not expecting to happen upon a body count as soon as I landed."

His head then perked up. "That reminds me!" He exclaimed. "We need to get out of here." He then turned back to the console and flipped a few switches and buttons for a quick dematerilization. With a flip of a lever, the Time Rotor started to move up and down, and the TARDIS was in flight.

"There. We should be away from the crime scene, now. If I'm right, the responders should be coming for the corpses, and taking them to the morgue." He then looked downward. "I only hope their families will be okay in time…" The Doctor muttered to himself.

It relieved a bit of stress within her stomach when the alien Doctor mentioned that all of this was by chance. She would hate to have to play along with some sort of 'fated' meeting. Those scenarios quickly died down in expectation over the years. As a child, the Diclonius had believed that she and Kouta were destined to meet—-

… _Kouta_…

When the Doctor mentioned that he could shift between different time periods, Lucy felt a weight bear down on her chest; had she that ability, all of those past mistakes could have been reversed. Kanae would have never been killed, nor her once good friend's father. Kouta's memory would not have lapsed and faded in a fit of amnesia.

And she might have had a chance to truly redeem herself.

Lidding the dahlia hues, Lucy frowned, spacing of briefly and succumbing to her own thoughts.

_It's you._ _You._ _That girl, from all those years ago. The girl that ruined my life._ _You killed my sister, and murdered my father. I will never forgive you._

—She must have been truly naive to believe that Kouta would accept Lucy's pleads for forgiveness. The only reason that the Diclonius fought to stay alive, was to eventually escape that dreadful island, and allow her old friend to know how sorry she was.

In the end, that was_ not_ what had happened.

Lucy snapped out of her mental daze once the Doctor brought up the four civilian deaths, noticing how much sorrow he felt towards them

…_How could a complete stranger mourn as if he had known them forever?_

Shaking her head lightly, the renegade eventually spoke up, "…—" Or at least, she thought she was about to. Nothing came out.

The Doctor looked up to Lucy as she tried to say something. His head tilted in curiosity. What exactly could this woman be, if she said herself that her purpose was to extinguish all mankind? And she only looked like she was in her early 20s, too. Did someone brainwash her?

And the way she killed. Nothing touched them. There was no trauma from the children's bodies, and the man's body was too clean cut. Usually, a laser could make a cut like that. But Lucy didn't possess any technology like that.

He moved away from the console, and meandered over to Lucy. "If I may ask, Lucy." He said. "I've never seen someone kill without lifting so much of a finger to do it. The way you killed those children… And that man that was bissected… I've never seen anything like it."

The Time Lord crossed his arms. "How exactly did you do that? And…" He then looked at the black cap that Lucy wore. He noticed two noticeable points that pointed outward from the top of her cranium, just barely pointing the fabric of the cap.

"…Forgive me if I'm overstepping my bounds, as well, but why is there something poking from your cap?"

This topic was bound to be brought up. And even though it was always anticipated, it never failed to bring frustration into Lucy's mind. A reminder that she was not like everybody else, and never would be. Though, she practically assured that it would be a subject of conversation due to killing right in front of the wayward doctor.

Turning her glance upwards, it was tilted back down when a hand reached up, once occupied with the leather carrying satchel's handle on her shoulder, now to her head, removing the hat. Rather, it posed more as a shield. The only way that Lucy would walk freely was that they were _always_ covered.

When the hat was removed and those tell-told horns were revealed, Lucy felt the need to stand taller, prouder. As if just SHOWING these physical abnormalities were considered a felon.

"… _My ability to kill with the lightest touch is not the only difference that I told towards humanity_," Lucy's voice maintained that misanthropic attitude that seemed to always find a home in her personality. No matter how excited, relieved or intrigued that she could get in a situation, it always returned to that detached way of life.

"_The humans call us the Diclonius race… We bear these horns, the most noticeable difference, but the important part are the vectors…_" Lucy looked about, noticing a stray pen on the ground. It was lifted with one of the unseen appendages and placed in the hands of the Doctor as demonstration.

"_We are born with these invisible limbs that can do many, many things… Mostly known in their medical knowledge as perfect weapons._"

The Doctor noticed Lucy's gaze shift to a stray pen on the ground of the console room. He saw that it was then lifted up, and placed in the Doctor's hand. Needless to say, the Doctor was intrigued. He was in the presence of a new species he was, beforehand, unfamiliar with.

"I was wondering where that pen went…" He said, gaze still fixated on Lucy in awe. "…Incredible." He said to himself. He couldn't see the limbs that she called Vectors, but he could very well sense them, as if a ghost had just wondered into the TARDIS and aimed to prey upon its next victim.

The horns, however, interested the Doctor. He could tell that Lucy held the same misanthropic voice as she described her race to the Time Lord. He walked over to Lucy and tapped one of the horns with his finger. His eyes widened as he felt how solid they were.

"Real Keratin." He said to himself, tapping the other horn. "Unbelievable. It's as if they're made of the same material as a mere fingernail." The Doctor noticed Lucy look at him in confusion.

He may have stepped on thin ice with that intriguing display. Since she showed him something hidden, perhaps he might return in kind.

"…Perhaps I should show you something that's different about me as well." He said. "It's not as glaring as your horns, but still rather interesting." He then reached into his inside coat pocket and pulled out a stethoscope.

"Now, listen carefully." He said, before sticking the earpieces inside her ears. He brought the bell up to the heart that humans were familiar with, and stuck it there for ten seconds. The Doctor could see Lucy listening in, and looked very well confused. He then brought the bell to the opposite end of his chest, and held it there for ten seconds, revealing his other heart.

After the small demonstration, he took the earpieces off of Lucy and withdrew the stethoscope in his pocket. "Your ears weren't deceiving you. You were hearing two heartbeats." He flashed a toothy grin. "Binary Cardiovascular System, Lucy." He explained.

What could possibly come from having two hearts? Aside from body efficiency, Lucy could not fathom any specific reason. It was peculiar and intriguing, enough for the Diclonius to begin asking questions once more. He had mention that he was a being of alien descent… It must be within his race.

It must be simple to hide this abnormality. Then again, when Lucy had lost her horns temporarily, it was simple to keep the vectors hidden.

For several years now, more and more infants were born having those temporal protrusions on their heads. Of course, the public masses never knew of their existence, for the majority of them were terminated in the hospital before they could even see another human besides their birth mother.

How long until the entire world knew?

—Returning back on track, the renegade's head tilted lightly.

"You mentioned that you have lived for many, many years… Is it because of your extra organs? Or is it something else?"

Both were in the company of a species that they were unsure of; as long as Lucy was kept calm, nothing ill would happen. And surly the Doctor had no plans of taking the life of the mutation.

Perhaps they were in good terms as of now.

For now, she would answer the man's questions.

"I am not sure what you mean by 'Keratin', but, they do grow back gradually when chipped or removed. According to the scientists… They are the source of the vectors. Which has proven to be true. When they were removed during … Certain incident, I had no use over the vectors for nearly a year as they grew back."

The Doctor's grin persisted as he was now back on common ground with Lucy. "So, your horns grow back after being damaged." He said. "That's what Keratin does. You see, Keratin is the material that's made from the hair and fingernails on a normal human body. And, you could say, mine as well. Like a fingernail that's trimmed, your horns are grown back if they are cut off or severed. Keratin does that, though it's odd that those vectors you had mentioned before are linked to the horns."

He went back over to the console as he maintained the TARDIS in flight. "Biological power source, perhaps?" He said, shrugging. The Doctor looked back at Lucy as she watched him fiddle with the console. "You're right. I have lived for quite some time. 750 years, if I recall correctly. However, it's not really because of my two hearts."

He took his hat off and set it on the side of the console. "You see, Lucy, I'm a Time Lord. Time Lords are known to live for thousands and thousands of years. You could even say that we walk an eternity." The Doctor then scratched the back of his head. "Of course, we're not immortal, but when we wither away from old age, or are killed for whatever reason, we have a new form to take our place. New face, new hair, new body frame, even new personality."

He then grinned at Lucy. "That's a process that we Time Lords on Gallifrey call Regeneration. Just as we are about to die, our cellular structure changes, and any damage repairs itself. It's a bit complicated, though. Because you never know what you're going to get."

He then reached into his pocket, and pulled out his white bag of Jelly Babies. Eating one, he looked over to Lucy, and held the bag out to her. "Would you care for a Jelly Baby?" He asked the Diclonius.

No matter how many questions were answered, the amount of petitions continuously grew, and grew, and grew. NOW this man was speaking of living for hundreds, even THOUSANDS of years? Wait a moment… Lucy's mind hesitated, recalling what he had mentioned during the emotional rave from earlier, when he spoke about watching nations, and races fall in defeat. It made a little more sense now in context— still, all of it proved to be flummoxing.

_What would it be like if I managed to live that long?_

It would bephenomenal, holding the ability to take form once death had come to deliver your soul to the next life. Of course, that lead Lucy to thinking even** more** in depth.

_is this the way life is…? We are born, we live, we die, we start all over once more?_

Lucy was not too sure whether she desired that or not. If that were to be the truth, she'd mentally scold herself to the day she died, to make things different in the next life, if it were so.

_I'd be a better person…_

—But would she be reborn a human? An animal? Maybe even a tree. All of it was a childish thought anyways. Better to focus on the now, rather than the later. She was well aware of what happened last time she looked too far into the future. _Disaster_.

Taking the colorful candy in her hand, Lucy squished it between too fingers in a curious manner before putting it into her mouth, chewing, and swallowing. Fruity? Hmh.

"…Is this the way life is for all of them? Humans, when they are deceased, do their souls find the ability to reform into something else? It is something that I have thought of before… There is so much darkness in the world, what is the point of existing if you only die once it is all over? Wouldn't it make sense for them to return, and continue to learn until they are… No longer—" Lucy paused.

"Never mind. I'm rambling."

The Doctor gazed downward, as Lucy's mind had started to formulate many questions. Deep questions that even the Time Lord himself didn't even have the answers to.

"That's quite alright, Lucy." He said, gaze still shifted downward. "To be honest, I don't think I could answer those kind of questions. What you refer to sounds like the aspect of Reincarnation. Most religions tend to have that viewpoint that depending on how they acted in their lifetime, that they will be rewarded in the next one."

He then looked back at Lucy's eyes as he ate another Jelly Baby in thought. "I understand what you mean, perfectly, with the world being plagued in nothing but darkness. As for the point of living…" The Doctor shrugged. "I often wonder what the point is myself. But what really matters is that you are here, in this very moment. It shouldn't matter _why_ you are here, or if you were here with some other purpose in mind."

He put a hand on Lucy's shoulder, smiling. "Humans tend to try to find a spiritual or otherwise inexplicable reason for their existence. But yet, in all of my travels through time and space, their species have proven time and again to be indomitable."

The Doctor flashed a toothy grin to the Diclonius. "It may come to surprise you, but humans are very capable of doing good things. All it takes is time and progress." He then remembered what he had said about humans back on the Space Station Nerva during his travels with Sarah Jane and Harry, and found himself echoing the same thing that he said. "It may be strange of you to think, and it may be irrational of me to say… But human beings are _quite_ my favorite species."

Clearly, this man has bared witness to so, so much good in his everlasting lifetime. Maybe this was the reason he was able to smile without any sort of qualms. Or was that just some sort of facade? With the experiencing of good, there was always plenty of sorrow to hold as well. Even so… Lucy has never met somebody who could smile so easily.

During her short lifetime, the Diclonius only came across a few examples of happiness: Nana, the Silpelit who had been imprisoned alongside her on the laboratory island. Despite all of the pain that she was put through, that bright-eyed child managed to smile anyways.

And then there was Mayu, who came to live with Kouta and the others shortly before Lucy vanished. She was homeless, just like the renegade killer, and yet she smiled…

_How could somebody be so happy?_

Optimism had never been her strong suit. Growing up in an environment where everybody ridiculed her very existence, it was difficult to even IMAGINE waking up in the morning, prepared for the day.

"It's just… How can you go through so much, and still manage to be happy? I don't understand at all, everybody continues to say that it gets better, that things will change overtime, that there is more good than bad in the world— when does that actually become true?"

There was humanity in Lucy's eyes.

She was not a completely distorted monster. Rather, she gazed upon existence with distorted vision. To her, everything was rotten and worthy of death by her hands.

"…I guess it might be something that I might never understand. There's things in my lifetime that have happened, and I still cannot comprehend as to why it did. Thinking too hard is not going to change anything, though. I know that much," Lucy mused quietly, taking another one of the colorful candies and placing it in her mouth.

"It _does_ get better, Lucy." The Doctor said, his grin persisting. "And you're already showing a sign of that happening. I think…" He then thought to himself, as he popped another Jelly Baby in his mouth. "I think you just needed to see another who was different from you to show you humanity from a different point of view."

As they were talking, K-9 had just rolled into the room. However, he seemed to be on alert status.

"Danger, Master!" K-9 chirped. "Danger! Unseen threats have been detected within the TARDIS!"

His eyes widened. K-9 must have detected the vectors!

"K-9, wait a moment!" He shouted frantically, running over to the dog and kneeling down. "What are you talking about?"

"Energy expenditure of unknown origin has been detected. Impossible to locate, but danger is imminent! Danger!"

It _was_ the vectors, then.

"First off, K-9, be quiet." He said, sternly. "Second, if you keep this up, you're going to scare my new friend away. I'm trying to help her and talk with her, and you're not helping."

"But Master! Danger-"

"I know, K-9. But I assure you, she's a friend. Can you keep quiet and be civil?"

K-9 was silent. The dog was not going to let this fly, was he?

The Doctor sighed. "Listen, K-9. If you can be civil while Lucy is with us, I'll make sure to give you a nice long walk as soon as possible, alright?"

K-9 then nodded. "Affirmative."

"Good. Now, come on and meet my friend."

The Doctor walked back to Lucy as K-9 rolled in front of the Diclonius and Time Lord.

"I do beg your pardon, Lucy, but forgive that little alerting outburst earlier. This is my second best friend, K-9."

He then looked to K-9. "K-9? This is Lucy. Let's try to make her as comfortable as possible in here, shall we?"

"Affirmative." K-9 said. "My full designation is K-9 Mk. II. It is a pleasure to meet you, Mistress."

"—-!"

Now, she had not anticipated any sort of company within this strange little box of inter-dimensional complication. Though, this was a PLEASANT surprise! Eyes widened, and then softened with fascinating and positive attention. Bending down, the Diclonius stared as the robotic contraption that emulated the appearance of a dog.

It was as if there was an entire shift in psyche.

Lucy reached her hand out, patting K-9 on the head, as if it were a living, breathing dog. Bending down to her knees, a subtle smile appeared on her features.

"Hello there," she greeted, "my name is Lucy. Did my vectors startle you? Don't worry, I won't use them on you…"

Had the Doctor not known any better, he would more than likely believe that the pinkette entranced by the robotronic was a completely different person. And not even in the sense of her split personalities. No, Lucy felt a sort of comfort around any sort of animalistic being.

Was it because she felt on an equal level on them?

Or was it that sense of trust that the Diclonius just could not achieve with humans?

Eventually, her head cranked back, glancing up at the scarved man, clearing her throat lightly. Lucy felt a little silly, and decided to stand back up, brushing the front of her dress off.

The Doctor laughed as Lucy composed herself. She was almost a completely different person, now. No longer was she the killer that the Doctor had scolded earlier for her actions, and would very well take his head off, but now it was as if she was just a normal late adolescent. And it seemed that K-9's sudden appearance had facilitated that fact.

Perhaps there was hope for Lucy after all…

"I take it you already like K-9?" He asked. "Well, if you like dogs, and don't mind a bit of robotics, I think you'll get along just fine."

K-9 rolled up to Lucy. "My memory banks are not familiar with the term, vectors. I will assume that what you speak of are the foreign energy readings that I am reading from you."

Something about that arched the Doctor's eyebrow. "Strange that K-9 was able to detect your vectors. I wonder…" He then pressed a few buttons and turned a few knobs. Going over to a monitor on the console, he found a few energy spikes detected within the TARDIS.

"Ah… so K-9 was right." He said. "The TARDIS is detecting some odd energy coming from your vectors. It's hard to tell exactly what kind of energy reading it is, though."

The Time Lord looked up at Lucy, and smiled. "You know something, Lucy?" He asked, as he grabbed his hat. "You are probably the most unique creature I've ever met. Not too long ago, you had so much hate that was dripping from you, like the dreaded giant spiders on the planet of Metebelis III. I've no doubt that you could have ripped me in half without a second thought."

He then put an arm around her, as he looked down at K-9. "And here you are, taking a liking to K-9, and listening to me burble on about my views of life, the universe and everything." He gave a genuine grin to the Diclonius. "If it means anything to you, Lucy. If anyone has called you a monster in the past, they are wrong from what I have seen."

Within a twenty-four hour span in time, the Diclonius had boarded a train, slain a band of complete strangers, been confronted with an utter stranger, who turned out to be an alien of epic proportions, and came to learn that the concept of time was extremely fluid and stranger. It was the most entertainment and shifting in daily pattern that Lucy had experience in a very, very long time.

Also, to add to the difference in this encounter, the renegade, not once, had made an attempt at her confrontee's life. Rather, she found him fascinating. It was almost comforting to know that she was not the only non-human that walked these planes, aside from the animal kingdom. Maybe, just maybe, she could consider somebody a friend.

"—You have to understand, that my mentality is not exactly… In one piece. For these reasons, my emotions and behavior can shift very easily. Many years have been spent being a prisoner to a domineering voice within—"

Lucy had begun to explain her Instinctual DNA, but— as always, whenever this subject was brought up, a sharp pinch could be felt, similar to the pain of a headache. A hand was brought up to her head, wincing, and ceasing the topic.

"… It's complicated, I will leave it at that," she spoke calmly, deciding not to be confrontational. There was always plenty of time to bring it up once more.

If, she would be allowed.

"—As for my vectors, I have been told that they vibrate on a different wavelength. Depending on how quickly, or heavily they are used, there are times when you can catch a glimpse of them. But, that is not too often … I have mastered them to the point where I can be quiet and discrete with each one," Lucy explained.

Many of the things that she knew about herself had not been known prior to her stay in the Kakuzawa Facility. For the longest time as a child, she was naive, and believed to be an extraordinary little girl who could perform magic.

—That was quickly dismissed when she learned that there were others, and that the rest of her kind were kept being thick steel walls, separated from the rest of the world.

The Doctor tilted his head in curiosity as he witnessed Lucy bring a hand to her head as if she just had a slight headache. What prevented her from explaining what she was about to say? Could something be preventing her via pain sensation. With a small shrug, he brushed it off, knowing that they would discuss it another time.

As she explained her vector's abilities, it made a bit more sense about them being able to vibrate through wavelengths.

"Ah!" He exclaimed, as if he found the answer. "I know exactly what you are talking about, my dear." His grin was widened as he made his abundant knowledge known. "Your vectors are read at wavelengths through the electromagnetic spectrum. The very fact that I can't see them right now could be that they are operating on wavelengths that are _very similar_ to gamma rays." His eyes widened. "Ingenious…"

He then moved across from Lucy as he explained further. "If your vectors are able to vibrate more and more, then they become only visible enough to catch a glimpse. Though, if they vibrate _just enough_ to be glimpsed at, that could very well be on par with micro waves…"

The Doctor then turned over to Lucy as he stood across from the Diclonius. "Tell me, Lucy. How strong would you say your vectors are? Given that they can tear through human flesh in an instant, what's the toughest material that they can penetrate?"

There were limits to the immense power that one possessed when wielding vectors; she could only reach within a two meter radius around her. Anybody outside of that length could not be touched unless she were to throw something. It seemed, however, that as more time passed, the stronger her vectors were becoming. She could feel it right down to the bone, the electric sensation whenever one of the unseen appendages reached out to strike somebody down, or when all four were set free, dangling out like limp legs of a spider, awaiting prey.

"—They were gauged to be able to cut through several layers of steel if running with enough power behind it. My body does not wear down when the vectors are in use, but there is only so much that I can handle. If I over work myself, the very core of me will wither. I've learned that most metals do not pose as a threat, aside from thick titanium," Lucy explained, recalling the wide doors that locked her away in the large, expansive room. It took nearly six meter thick walls, along with all of the bindings and vector-cancelling technology to keep the Diclonius queen locked away. Not quite as impressive as the cage that number 35 was locked away in, but daunting nonetheless.

"I've learned that it varies from each of us; no two diclonii are the same, to state it bluntly."

Nana, for example, had much longer vectors, but were not as spectacular and strong as Lucy's. She had not tested and honed her abilities NEARLY as much as the renegade mutant had. That was the case with many of the Silpelits who were brought into the facility at a young age, where LUCY, on the other hand, roamed free until the age of thirteen.

"So, your vectors are linked to your own physical energy. You overwork yourself, you risk fatigue." The Doctor thought out loud. "But most metal doesn't seem to contain your vectors." His eyes widened. "I certainly see what you mean about your vectors being designed as perfect weapons."

He shook his head. "Why must humans always be concentrating on creating more weapons. Vectors could probably be used to _help_, not destroy…" The Doctor muttered. An idea then popped into his mind, perking his head.

"I wonder…" He then turned to K-9 and knelt down. "K-9. Can you extend your analyzer dish?"

"Affirmative." K-9 responded. His red dish then protruded from the center of his optics. "Analyzer online."

"Lucy." Said the Doctor. "Can you have one of your vectors touch K-9's analyzer dish? I want to see if he would be able to detect anything from them."

Following his simple request, Lucy nodded, a vector slipping free; the tips of the unseen appendage's fingers brushed down against the robotic canine's analyzer; whatever he was trying to measure, the Diclonius was not too sure. But it was far more pleasant than the tests and lengths that Kakuzawa's scientists used in order to learn more about the ways of Lucy's strengths.

"You wouldn't be able to imagine just how insane they are when it comes to where they stand on my abilities," she commented, "I once heard that they wished to learn the true reasons as to why I was born with them. A vector virus, if you may. I know more than any of them just how dangerous it is,tampering with that… And then there are others, who only wish to find a vaccine to prevent any more of my kind from being born."

Shoulders shrugged lightly as her physical arms crossed behind her back, the other three vectors simply holding a presence without any issue, "I tried to stop understanding them."

"Contact has been made, Mistress." K-9 said, confirming that he felt the vector. His ears then started to swivel as his red optics began to blink. "Analyzing…"

The Doctor only tilted his head slightly at Lucy's comments about her vectors. "Honestly, I wish I could know more about your vectors, Lucy. They seem very extraordinary. I've really not seen anything like them before."

He then scratched the back of his head as he chuckled a bit. "Forgive me, I don't want to seem like I'm making you a laboratory guinea pig." He quipped. "I think it's wonderful to find a species like yourself. Diclonius, you said?" He then saw Lucy give a slight nod. "Yes… very wonderful, indeed."

"Data analysis complete, Master." K-9 chirped.

"Hmmm?" The Doctor turned back to face K-9. "What have you found?"

"Data analysis shows that Mistress Lucy's "vectors" are indeed limbs that are unseen to the naked eye. Depending on frequency, they have the slightest vibrations and said vibrations determine the force that they can exert. They can range from a simple push, to a catastrophic explosion."

K-9's analyzer dish then started to withdraw. "However, one must exercise caution, Master. There may be times that Mistress Lucy's vectors may operate on their own free will. While Lucy herself has primary control over her vectors, during emotional unrest, they may destroy whomever they might come across."

The Doctor then started to nod. "I see…" He said, absorbing his companion's newfound information.

"One last thing, Master."

"Yes?"

"Virus has been detected from the vector, Master." K-9's ears swiveled again, as if he was cross-referencing information. "It appears to be a hereditary virus. Passed on from a vector touch, it enters the blood stream and contaminates human genetic code, thereby ensuring they pass on that same code to their offspring."

The Doctor's eyes widened. "A genetic altering virus?" He asked.

"Affirmative."

"Am I at risk, K-9?" He asked.

K-9's ears then swiveled. "Insufficient Data." He concluded.

"I have high doubts that it would affect you at all— my vectors have made contact with creatures that are not human, and there were no ill after-effects at all. If you WERE, indeed, just another member of the human race, then you would have been at risk," Lucy answered truthfully.

Extraordinary? Strange, alien and inhumane were adjectives that were usually associated with the Diclonius race, but wonderful and extraordinary? She supposed that it was a better word association. _Anything_ was better than **monster**.

"But as for more information pertaining to vectors, I'm afraid that it is impossible to collect data, unless you were to somehow retrieve it from the Kakuzawa Facility. And absolutely nobody knows of it's existence unless they are closely knit with the Japanese government and militia. Our entire existence… Our entire existence as a species, is to be kept a secret from the mass public."

Lucy leaned against the railing, pondering over her own words.

"If you were to mention that you met a girl with horns to anybody, they wouldimmediatelybrush you off. Or, in worst case scenario, find you insane and admit you."

Of course, this seemed to be necessary. If the entire world knew that there was a species genetically hellbent on wiping out humanity, then there would be a massive panic. More damage would be done than good. And in the long run, even if diclonii were to be accepted, what sort of life would they have? The governments of high powers would fight over possession of them, using them as weapons of war, or attempting to infect more and more children to create anindestructiblearmy.

"That isn't necessary though," a passive wave from her hand, "I can let you know about nearly everything you could be curious over."

The Doctor smiled at Lucy. "I would like that very much, Lucy." He said. "To be honest, I'm not really interested in going through so much government red tape to learn about you. Besides, most humans tend to describe foreign creatures in hyperbole, more than anything."

He shook his head as he put his hat back on his head. "It's a shame, though, that you must be kept a secret from humans. The very notion that you are nothing but a weapon to them is very sad, indeed. I'm sure you could do so much more than destroy."

He turned to Lucy and grinned. "I'll bet that your vectors could be used to better civilization. There could be a multitude of good things if Diclonii were bred as individuals and able-bodied workers." The Doctor then leaned on the console with Lucy. Thinking for a moment, he thought he might give her something of a positive image. Turning to the console, he altered the coordinates just a bit from the TARDIS's flight path, and decided to set it to orbit around Earth.

He turned to face Lucy. "Take a look over there, Lucy." He said, pointing to the covered viewscreen. Flicking a switch, the viewscreen door went up, uncovering an image. It showed the Earth, bright and vibrant as the TARDIS orbited the planet.

The Doctor could only grin at Lucy's reaction.

It was an abstract image of blues, greens, whites and browns; an orb of multitude and life force. This was the world, that held everybody and everything that had ever taken a breath of air. Home to the millions, maybe billions, of species that had run across golden plains and bitter tundras, or swam through the expansive, deep oceans.

Seeing the planet in which she hailed from was incredible; it was not as black and white as she imagined it would be. In fact, when looking at it from above, one might doubt any sort of evil and despair to lurk within— it brought the Diclonius back to her memories of the zoo as a child. Long necked creatures and colorful things swimming about.

There was so much to the world aside from humans— but the sheer fact that they could cause such an impact in a short amount of time was daunting as well. Humanity was very, very real. Real monsters. Sure, there were diamonds in the rough, but it seemed that it was difficult to find them.

How could this man from an entire different world find them to be so … _interesting?_

Of course, Lucy had come across a few pious humans in her time, but they were few and far in between. Was there a point in history where humans were not so… Naive? Selfish? Somehow, they managed to be the dominant species of the entire planet. But how?

Snapping back to reality after being lost in the thoughts, the Diclonius turned her head, glancing up at the Doctor.

"You had mentioned earlier your fascination with humanity… Did you meet a member of their race that struck you true? I want to know how you came across such good people, and just how uncommon or frequent they might be."

The Doctor nodded at Lucy's question. "Quite a few good people, actually. In fact, some of them have even traveled with me." He went over to Lucy's position as he looked at the planet that they orbited. "Granted, the first people I've ever really traveled with actually ended up forcing themselves inside my TARDIS, but they eventually grew on me. I wasn't so privy to being with humans during my earlier days."

He really wasn't. It had been so long since his travels with Ian and Barbara, and that fateful moment they found him and Susan Foreman inside the TARDIS. Human curiosity got the best of them, and it sparked a journey that had been continuing ever since. Of course, since his first incarnation, the Doctor had warmed up to traveling with humans, but it just took a while.

He smiled to himself. He was quite the grump back then, wasn't he?

"I suppose I am just lucky, Lucy." He said. "I've met many fantastic people that I'm very grateful to have traveled with. Of course, there were times that humans still display their dark side for want of power, fortune, and fame. But the ones I come across were, I think, humanity's best." He looked to Lucy and smiled. "I think you'd come to like the ones I consider my friends." The Doctor said. "They've seen just about as much as I have, and would consider you just as fascinating."

"I've only ever had two friends in my life time… It would be nice to come across more before I depart," Lucy admitted, looking down once more at the marble-esque beauty that was planet earth. From this angle, it almost seemed impossible for one single race to take over an entire existence that was _THIS_ large. It was incredibly fascinating, knowing that even before a single homo sapien stepped foot on the ground, the dinosaurs of old crashed and roamed the once arid earth.

She'd always had a fondness for dinosaurs as a child. Their scaly bodies and horns werereminiscentof her own mutations, making them intriguing to the young Diclonius.

Ergo, the mutant had thought she was part triceratops for nearly six months, before coming to realize that many other essential attributes of reptilians were missing.

"I've always yearned for… Friends. People that won't forsaken me, just because I'm a little different. Kouta and Aiko— both of them suffered so much because of me. And yet, both of them considered me a friend beforehand. I guess…—"

A hand reached up, brushing against her own shoulder.

"…I guess you could say that I've never crossed somebody's path without causing them misfortune in some way. And usually— actually, every time, it is my fault. If I were only a little more trustworthy— if I could control this… Beast within me, I would be able to try and see past all of the bad in the world, and see the good."

She was not exactly frowning, but Lucy did feel regret for what had happened in the past. Harming Kouta. Not being able to save Aiko's life. All she wished to have was some sort of optimism.

The Doctor put a comforting arm around Lucy as the both of them looked on at the blue planet that the TARDIS orbited. "You're certainly one to talk about being different." He quipped. "How often is it that someone like you ends up in the company of a Time Lord? More to the point, with a Time Lord, in his TARDIS, in orbit above your home planet? I know a thing or two about being different, Lucy." With a smile, he looked at Lucy in the eye.

"And yet, you don't even realize, you're in the company of a friend currently." He tilted his head just a bit. "Of course, our first meeting wasn't under the best circumstances, but people _can_ change. No matter what kind of race you are."

The Doctor then advanced a bit forward before turning around to face Lucy. "You're definitely not evil, Lucy. If you were, we wouldn't be having this conversation. I think all you need is a bit of change. So, a change like this…" He then outstretched his arms, as if he were presenting the TARDIS. "Might be something that you needed for some time. And if you're looking for friends, well…" He went over to K-9 and knelt next to him.

"You've got us for the time being. What say you, K-9?"

"Affirmative." The dog chirped. "I will assist in looking after the Mistress."

A smile was cracked on Lucy's features— was this was it felt like to have … Family? People who cared for her well-being? Whether it was or not, she was more than receptive for this opportunity. It would be a trial to make sure that her Instinct would not smolder this building, symbolic flame of trust, but it was a struggle that she was willing to fight through.

_You silly, naive girl… Don't you know? This will never turn out for the best. Prepare yourself for the worst._

Brushing off the auditory pest, Lucy returned her focus and curiosity up front.

"…I would love to consider the both of you good friends. You have proven that I can trust the two of you, and I thank you for that," she admitted, smiling all the while.

"—How many places have you actually been on this 'TARDIS'? You sound as if you are welltraveled you've definitely have to have crossed almost everywhere possible. What were some of your favorite locations?"

And then the questions began to trickle out, as if she were a care free child once more. Lucy's psyche was calming down to the point where she could feel secure enough to do so. It was a positive step towards being able to stand for herself, and not the killing Instinct.

"Oh, I wouldn't say I've been _everywhere_, Lucy." The Doctor said, standing up. "Although, I've been to many different galaxies and planets." He recalled some of his past travels. There were many places he had been to, but always ended up on Earth. It was funny how that worked.

"Though, to be perfectly honest, Earth has always been my favorite place. It's been my home away from Gallifrey for some time, and for a planet occupied by humans, it is a very beautiful place."

He flashed a toothy grin while chuckling. "Besides, where else can I get a good plate of fish and chips? I can't really get that on the planet Arcadia. I rather like the cuisine here, too."

He then eyed the planet on the viewscreen. "Yes…" He trailed off. "…I guess you could say that this is my favorite place. In fact, this was the first planet I went to since I left Gallifrey."

The assumption was made that 'Gallifrey' was this man's home— but it sounded as if he had not been there in many, many years. Had he left on purpose, was he and his kind flooded out? It felt as if it were a personal question; it would be held until later. For now, Lucy wished to keep the scenario calm and collect.

"And since you can move through time— does that mean you've been able to witness historical events?" The Diclonius blinked lightly, her head tilted in thought. There were PLENTY of things that people would give in order to go back and see the past. Situations such as the American Revolution, the time of the ancient Romans, maybe even a period in which dinosaurs walked and shook the earth.

And then he spoke of other planets— just how many were there? The great minds of science spoke in these days, wondering if Earth were alone within the universe. Apparently, there were at least two others. And probably many, many more, with the way that the Doctor continued on.

The Doctor turned away from the viewscreen and faced Lucy. "Oh, yes, Lucy. One of the perks of being a Time Lord. Witnessing history unfold in front of your very eyes. I've even met a few historical celebrities in my time. Even Leonardo da Vinci. Very nice fellow, he is. His Mona Lisa, I believe, is one of the great treasures of the Universe."

At least, to the Doctor, anyway. Some would have words with him, but he always believed that nothing, _nothing_ could beat the Mona Lisa when it came to what was the best artistic piece in the whole galaxy.

"—I'm not too sure what fish and chips are." Lucy said after a short pause

With a small grin, he went over to the console and set some new coordinates for a small spot in London. There was a small area overlooking a dock that he visited a few times with Sarah Jane that had a wonderful fish and chips vendor. He'd have to keep it within Lucy's time, though. He didn't want to go back to 1978 London yet.

"I think you will soon." He said. "I'll have the TARDIS materialize in London. I know of a wonderful fish and chips stand. Hopefully it's still around." Looking over to her as he flipped a lever, he smiled. "I've no doubt you must be hungry, Lucy."

"Oh— a little, yes."

Now, art had never been the Diclonius's forte, but she was well aware of who Leonardo da Vinci was. He was the subject of a few classes during her orphanage days. They were taught about several famous painters and such, da Vinci being one of them, along with Van Gogh, Monet and a few others. Lucy herself tried her hand at art, but it was never a talent that she could master. Therefor, anybody with artistic skill was admired in her eye.

A little was an understatement. The last bit of food that had went into her stomach was nearly two days ago, when she managed to get a bar of granola for a few yen at a convenience store. One of the things that assisted her when killing, was being able to take money off of the victims. Though, many people these days ceased in carrying cash, and instead took credit and debit cards, which inhibited Lucy from using them.

"—Materialize, that means appear, right? I guess you can wind up wherever you wish with this sort of technology. It has to be convenient at times, I can imagine."

"Yes, Lucy. Very convenient." He said. "What you saw earlier when we were in that tree was the TARDIS materializing. It sort of disappears and reappears whereever it can find a convenient landing spot. Certainly a lot better than flying a spacecraft and landing it in an ostentatious fashion."

He saw the TARDIS was coming up on London, and took to a lever as he kept talking. "Materializing is certainly a lot better than that. Because it makes people wonder how long a Police Box has been in that little area, rather than gawking at a fancy space ship."

As he finished pulling the lever slowly, the Time Rotor stopped, and made a "Ding" sound, signifying its landing. Putting his hat on, he flipped a lever, opening the TARDIS doors.

"Looks like we've arrived. Should be a wonderful night, I think." He then bent down on the floor and grabbed Lucy's cap. "Best remain incognito for the time being, Lucy." The Doctor said, handing Lucy the black cap.

"Of course— humans are naturally curious, and having an entire group of them circling around something that's obviously alien would draw unneeded attention, and probably sprout obnoxious urban legends," Lucy mused, taking her cap to adjust it back on her head. The horns created small protrusions, but they were hardly noticeable, and could easily be passed as an uneven bit of fabric that was poked up during production.

A nod, and the two filed out of the TARDIS.

London was, well— words to describe the city would be, unique, interesting. The people spoke with color in their tone, an accent that the Diclonius was not used to. Along with that, the architecture was different from her home. Even the fashion of people walking along the streets was far different from Japan.

Both arms folded lightly, glancing around.

"Do you come here often?"

"Hmmm?" The Doctor hummed as he closed the TARDIS door behind them. "Oh, far more often than you would think, Lucy. I rather like it, to be honest."

He took Lucy's hand as they walked down a sidewalk. "Come on. Let's get something to eat."

After a few minutes of walking, they made their way to a fish and chips stand near a view of the River Thames. Just off in the distance was the Westminister Palace, with the Westminister Bridge lighting up the night sky.

The Doctor grabbed two plates of steaming, hot fish and chips. He handed one to Lucy and found a few stools and tables on the crosswalk. They both sat down, with the view of the River providing a nice backdrop.

The Doctor then began to eat his chips. He didn't remember the last time he had an English meal, so this was a welcome change. As he ate a few chips, he looked over to Lucy, who was eyeing both the River view, and the food she held.

Being akin to a diet of rice, porridge and vegetables, eating something that was NOT home cooked or left in therefrigeratorsof abandoned homes happened to be rather new for Lucy. In fact, spending any sort of extended time among humans was almost unheard of for the renegade. The last time that she sat out in public with a friend— well, she was seven years of age, and it was a small bench within the limits of a downtown zoo.

Not to mention that the view was nice. It was different from the beach and mountain ranges cradling Kamakura within the Kanagawa Prefecture, but it was a good different. She'd only seen these places in books before, and here she was, now experiencing it all for real.

The fish, in proportion, was rather large, leaving her to pull it apart between her fingers, "I've never had fish like this— it's usually steamed or raw," Lucy mentioned, blinking between bites. Her interest could be compared to that of a child; when she found something to latch onto, there was little that could distract her.

"I guess now's an appropriate time to say thanks," she smiled lightly with a nod.

The Doctor flashed a toothy grin to the Diclonius. "You're very welcome, Lucy." He said. "It might not be the most fanciest food, but I'm sure it suffices." The Time Lord playfully jabbed his elbow at Lucy's arm as he pulled apart his battered fish and ate it.

He could see Lucy starting to eat the fish and chips a little quicker, no doubt hunger taking over the young Diclonius. She must have not eaten for days, it would seem.

"Slow down, Lucy. Enjoy this." He said. "I understand that it's been a while, with the way you're eating, but good fish and chips should be enjoyed. Regardless, these are rather good." He popped a chip into his mouth. "I used to eat here sometimes with one of my closest companions. Sarah Jane Smith was her name. Wonderful girl, she was. Very feisty, but upfront. Knows when to show initiative, and never the type to sit back and hide." He smiled as he thought of Sarah.

"You would like her, Lucy. She's a very dear friend of mine."

Pausing for a moment, she cleared her throat, a tadembarrassedthat she was eating that quickly. Then again, she was not used to laying back and simply enjoying life as it was. She slowed down either way, just so that she would not race through the entire meal and end up filling her stomach with air.

"I suppose… You've met a lot of people in your lifetime, you would know who is worth the time, and who isn't. Did she travel around with you as well?"

Lucy wondered whether or not that was a constant factor in his daily life, helping people who did not look at with world with happiness, and turning them around. Though their meeting had only been brief so far, the renegade felt as if she could trust this man known as the Doctor.

It would not be easy to fight through the killing Instinct within, but— there was always a change, surely.

She would not be subject to this beast within forever, right?

The Doctor nodded. "Yes. Sarah did travel around with me." He smiled as his thoughts were recollecting all of his previous adventures with her. "I've known her since my previous regeneration. We saw all sorts of different planets, and had many adventures together. She was nothing short of marvelous. Very sweet, and no doubt my best friend."

He then looked down at his fish and chips. "Unfortunately, I received a call from my home planet of Gallifrey during my time with her. The Time Lords summoned me, and I had to obey. Humans aren't really allowed on my home planet, as the Time Lords are a bit xenophobic."

Taking a bit of fish, he chomped on it. "So, I had no choice. I had to leave her behind. Of course…" He tilted his head. "I dropped her off back to her home, but I couldn't take her with me."

The Time Lord looked at Lucy with a smile. "I'll never forget that woman, Lucy. I certainly hope she doesn't forget me."

Listening to the tale that he spoke of, the Diclonius nodded. Though it wasn't specifically mentioned, she could notice that he felt just a bit of sadness towards all of it. But who wouldn't? When one forms a connection with an other, it hurts to break it.

"I don't think that anybody could forget somebody like you," Lucy mentioned truthfully, "erhhmm, not just because you travel around in a blue box and show up at random. You're a good person— and I can't say that about many people."

Her smile grew just a little more.

"I'm sure she recalls you just fine, Doctor."

Out of all of the individuals she had come across in her time here on Earth, there was only a handful that would ever be considered to be held with trust by the Diclonius. And this strange man in a scarf happened to be one of them.

The Doctor smile grew into his toothy grin as he chuckled at Lucy's kind words. It seems like he got through to the Diclonius and made a connection.

He could see it. She _wasn't_ a monster.

"I'm sure she does, Lucy." He said with a small nod and chuckle. "I'm sure she does…"

The Time Lord put an arm around Lucy as the both of them ate their fish and chips quietly, enjoying the view of the River Thames, the lights shining brightly against the dark backdrop, and the stars twinkling in the night sky.

The next hour or so consisted of light hearted conversation, a few laughs here and there, and thought provoking comments. Lucy did not know too much about the world and it's different colors, but gradually, it seemed that her shades of white and gray were earning hues here and there.

"I bet you never run out of places to wind up— I didn't realize that there was so much more to the world than just the close-minded individuals that surrounded me as a child. And that there is even life outside of this planet! It must be impossible to be able to see everything in one life time… is that one of the reasons why you can regenerate? Or is that just an attribute of your kind?"

The Doctor ate another chip as he listened to Lucy's question. "That's merely an attribute all Time Lords possess, Lucy." He answered. "Usually, in one regeneration, a Time Lord can live for up to about 400 years. That's how it was for me in my first form. Other times, though, I got a little too close to death's touch, and regenerated into another form."

He looked at his hands. "I've had many faces during my time, Lucy. This one being the fourth. So far, so good with this model, I think. I certainly hope it lasts."

The Doctor laughed a bit. "You're right. I don't run out of too many places to head off to. I have an entire cosmos at my disposal. I could go anywhere I wanted to, honestly." He then pat the bench they both sat on. "Though, it's always nice to wind back here from time to time.

She personally could not imagine living for that long, watching people that you once knew decease before you, see entire worlds change as you stand there stagnant. The more she thought about it, the more Lucy realized how big of a burden this entire existence could be.

—One must get rather lonely, being able to live nearly forever.

"I guess you have the time to see all of it, I suppose. Or maybe you even have your limits. Even so, you've more freedom than many people have on a daily basis."

The Doctor nodded. "Indeed. Funny thing about time travel and being a Time Lord. One often wonders if I ever _do_ find the time. When there's so much I've discovered, or yet to discover."

He ate a bit more of his fish. "Still, at least I've met some good people along the way. You included." He munched a bit of the fish before finishing off the rest of his chips. "It _is_ wonderful to have the freedom of a Time Lord, but it helps greatly when I have someone to travel around with."

Nodding, a 'chip' was dipped into a small pit of ketchup, nibbling the end. They were a little hot as she tried to avoid burning the roof of her mouth, "Can you ever remember a time where you were _not_ constantly traveling around?" An elbow leaned against the table, her eyes once more finding the stars above; they were wondrous this time of evening, just as the sun was wrapping up and setting, allowing the moon to take reign of the evening as patriarch of the sky.

"No, Lucy." The Doctor said, shaking his head. "The only times I could really remember not traveling were my younger days back on Gallifrey, when I was at the academy. Nowadays, I'm usually anywhere and everywhere, never really stopping." He grinned at Lucy. "Really, I wouldn't have it any other way. I rather like being on the move constantly."

"It must be nice," Lucy nodded, "personally, I travel around a lot," she began to speak, reaching and messing with the straw in her glass of water, "but not to other countries and such. Just around the Kanagawa Prefecture. I cannot exactly stay in one place for too long, as you can imagine, the authorities are constantly on my trail. So I just meander here and there each night."

Recalling the first time where she knew in her gut that she was required to kill for a home, the Diclonius sighed, shoving the bad thoughts out of her head for the time being.

"Guess that's changing for now, hmh?"

The Doctor smiled at Lucy. "I suppose it is. At least for the better." He said. "Though you'll have to forgive me. I've not traveled with a runaway fugitive before."

He finished off the remains of his fish and chips, and the rest of his water glass. Brushing off his hands, he stood up from his seat.

"Let's get back to the TARDIS." He said to Lucy. "After all of this excitement, I imagine you haven't slept in a while."

Ahhh, a good evening of sleep. When was the last time that the renegade was able to lay down and rest, without waking up at as the sun set in order to move about? The thought of it brought relief to her mind; now that she thought of it, it had nearly been two days since Lucy had actually slept.

"That actually sounds like a good plan," she nodded, standing and following after as asked. Both arms were crossed behind her back, rather than hanging limp to the sides. Perhaps it was for the sake of not looking strange and gangly to this new environment.

The Doctor and Lucy made their journey back to the blue Police Box as the night life began to take hold on the streets of London. As the streets lights began to flicker on, they found their way back to the TARDIS.

Unlocking the door, Lucy and the Doctor made their way back in, the Doctor flipping the door lever, closing the doors.

"If I recall, there should be a spare bedroom in the corridors." He said with a toothy grin. "Come on. I'll take you to it." He then opened the door from the console room leading to a hallway.

The interior hallway seemed to match that of the console room. The corridor was white, with roundels on the walls, as per the TARDIS's design. They walked down the corridor, making a left turn until finding a door.

"Here we are!" He said. "Welcome to your new bedroom, Lucy." The Doctor opened up the door, and flicked a light switch, revealing a suite-like room. It, of course, had a nice, comfortable bed. Twin size, however. There were also a small sofa and a few cushioned recliners here and there. There was a dresser, a mirror, and even a small chess set in one of the corners of the room. And, as usual, there were roundels that populated the walls.

"It's not much." The Doctor said to Lucy, picking up a cushion and inspecting it. "But I hope you'll find this comfortable."

What this traveling man considered 'not much' was rather appealing, actually. For the first time in— well… ever, the renegade had a space to call her own, one that was not confined against steel walls, enveloping her in restraints and painful contraptions. It was not a damp corner in the street, or a home stolen from humanity by her killing vector's.

All it was, happened to be a cozy little nook, where she could retire in the evening, and not worry about awakening and having to flee.

Stepping up to the mirror with curious Instinct, a vector reached up, tapping the material ever so lightly, leaving a smudge. Turning, the Diclonius nodded, and smiled.

It was nothing like the cramped room that she bunked alone in at the orphanage. The atmosphere was welcoming, rather than one that made you feel like a burden.

"I like it very much," Lucy smiled, the expression lingering for a moment before said vector reached around, grabbing the doorknob, "it isn't a habit of mine to be brief, but, I'm exhausted. I'll speak with you later tomorrow, Doctor."

The Doctor turned around to find that the door opened by itself. Must have been from Lucy's vector. He flashed a toothy grin to the Diclonius.

"I understand, Lucy. If you need to turn off the lights, a clap should turn them off." He then pointed to an intercom on the wall next to the door. "If you need to, give a shout to me with that intercom. That links directly to the console room."

He looked around the room, seeing if he forgot anything. "That should be everything, I believe." He said. "I'll have K-9 guard your door, just in case." He then walked out of the door but turned around and tipped his hat to Lucy.

"Good night, Lucy." He said. "Sleep tight."

"Yes. Good night."

And with a simple message of departure, Lucy did just as she planned to do; she rummaged through an attached closet, finding a pair of light blue sleeping pajamas, changing into the comfortable cotton and sitting on her bed, staring at the different details of the room, almost as to memorize it.

Not because she was forgetful, but more so, just in case—

Just in case this was a pleasant dream. Just in case she were to awake the next day, laying on her size next to the grave site of a man named Junoichi Takada. It was a headstone that the renegade often found herself next to when resting within Kamakura Cemetery. No particular reason, it just happened to lay on a comfortable piece of land.

Exhaling, both hands clapped, the lights shutting off as she laid to sleep.

* * *

The hum of machinery.

The monotonous chirp of medical equipment.

Her vision was spacey as they was chained to a wall by her wrists and ankles, head held low as muttering behind a observation window could be heard.

—What were they saying?

_"__It's important to take a sample of her blood before putting her into the confinement chamber. We will require it for furthering our knowledge on the Diclonius race. Chief Kurama, you did say she was delivered, correct?"_ _"__Yes. A peculiar man, we never did catch his name. He sounded relieved to have brought her here, though. It's incredible that he even made it out alive."_

A flash of light, and then darkness. Then the air became thinner, and thinner, and thinner— until Lucy could feel an unwelcoming familiar tension on her body.

_"__These state of the art restraints are made of the strongest materials that we could get our hands on. Her vectors should not be able to manipulate it at all… We cannot risk another breach. Lucy will not be allowed into the world again, she is a danger to all of mankind."_

She could barely muster words, but was able to scream out—

_"_**YOU'RE A LIAR!**_"_

* * *

— And then, it was all over. Lucy was sitting up in her bed in the dark, panting and struggling to breath, her shoulders stiff, arms and legs numb.

It— was just a nightmare?

A terribly realistic one, but a nightmare nonetheless.

Calm down, calm down, calm down—- Her vision was still a little blurry from just being awoken, and could not make it to her satchel— she couldn't grab her precious music box.

Instead, the Diclonius grabbed onto the sides of her head, forcing a melody from her throat.

"_La la laaa… La la… meditabitur… sapientiem …_"

* * *

The TARDIS was in mid-flight. The Doctor had set it to orbit Earth once again after he finished his nap. He slept well, yet thoughts of Lucy occupied his mind.

He thought to himself, 'was he in too deep this time?' He often tried to change the mind of killers with terrible results. But if a killer like Lucy were to change for the better...

But then, another thought popped into his head. What if she were brainwashed back into killing, despite the Doctor's efforts to change her? What if his attempts became futile?

What if Lucy killed _him?_

The Doctor shook his head as he turned a few knobs. That would _never_ happen. He would not let it.

Lucy was _not_ a monster. And he would _never_ let anyone turn her into one.

He shed his red frock coat earlier, but kept the scarf wrapped around his neck, the coat hanging on the coat rack with his hat. It seemed a bit hotter to him after that nightmare. Also strange, considering how most Gallifreyans have a colder internal temperature than humans.

Something seemed very odd.

He checked the TARDIS's relative clock. It was coming up to 9:00 AM. Should be a good morning rise to Lucy.

He walked out of the console room, making his way to Lucy's bedroom door. When he arrived, he was just about to knock, but stopped short.

The Doctor's eyes widened in curiosity. He could hear something on the other side of the door. He listened closely.

Was Lucy… singing?

* * *

It had been nearly four hours since that night terror shook Lucy awake; no attempts at lulling back into a comfortable slumber had been made. Instead, she lays on her bed, one knee tucked up to her chest, the other laying natural. One hand still grips the side of her head, the right remained the same.

The only thing that had changed since waking up was the presence of her cherished music box, placed close to her head, just far enough so that the sound of the mechanism within would not hurt her head.

It was the same collection of notes, playing over and over.

_Dum dum dummmmm, dum dum._

It would rise, fall, and rise again. When the melody ended, so would Lucy's mutters. Only to wind up the music box and listen once more.

"_Kyriieee, ignis divine elllleison…_"

The possibility of Lucy hypnotizing herself into only focusing on the box was high, for she had yet to end the trance.

* * *

The Doctor could hear not only Lucy singing, but the presence of a music box that had the melody of the same song that Lucy was singing. His eyes widened.

He had heard this song before.

Leaning against the wall next to Lucy's door, he brought a hand to his temple. That same song he heard carried a sombre, yet beautiful tone to it. It was an interesting song that he never thought would come across.

The song had spoken of love, kindness, serenity, and sanctum. But yet, with those qualities that the song entailed, the tone of the song itself seemed… almost depressive.

As if it were hopeful for sanctum, but would seem like an objective unobtainable.

The Doctor only uttered the song's name to himself as he felt a wave of emotion pass over him.

"Lilium…"

* * *

Only seconds after the Doctor would utter that word to himself, the mechanism once again stopped, the music halting. Slowly, Lucy regained use of her mentality, now that the 'spell' had been broken.

Her heightened senses easily pinpointed the man standing by her door— had he listened in on her lamentations? Sitting up and slipping off of the bed sheets, feet patted against the floor, until the mutation made it to the door.

She could of easily opened it with her vectors, though it seemed that it was difficult to utilize them in such an odd state.

The door opened.

Eyes glanced up.

The Doctor was standing in front of Lucy. He was just about to open the door himself, until Lucy beat him to the punch. He looked at her with sullen eyes.

It had been a while since he felt an emotion like that.

"Lilium…" He said, trying to find the words. "…That was Lilium you were singing in there, Lucy." He walked by her and entered her room. "I remember the first time I heard that song. I went to a Latin Opera House in 1928. One of the opera singers there sang that song. It was… something I never thought would give me such powerful feelings."

He went over to the mirror, looking at himself and the Diclonius. "It talked of love, tranquility, and kindness. Sanctum. Something of a wanted romance. But the tone of the song always carried a sombre tone with it."

The Time Lord turned to face Lucy. "Though I never thought someone like you would come across that song."

He went over to the bed, and found a small box. Sitting on the bed, he took the box and inspected it. He opened it, and wound it up.

_Dum dum dummm, dum dum._

He was right. Lilium played.

Shutting the box, he ended the song. "Tell me, Lucy. How did you come across this song?" He asked, still looking at the box.

"How did I come across it…?"

_"__I just thought it was a pretty song, that's all…"_

Faster than she had silenced when she first put the Doctor's emotional values on the chopping block upon the moment their paths crossed, Lucy clammed up, frowning and glancing down at the wooden frame of the music box. Her thumbs brushed against them, as if to try and figure out how it must have felt the day that Kouta had come across the horned child.

How he dropped it when he noticed the horns upon her head, triggering the music, and thus connecting them.

"…"

Was Kouta still her friend?

Doubtful. Not after the sins she had commit on that horrible, horrible train ride. _Kanae. His father. And almost Yuka._

Even if he were to accept her apology in the long run, there was no chance that the Diclonius— a **mutation**, a** murderer**, a **beast**, could ever feel comfortable around him and the others, ever again.

"… An old flame," she'd eventually answer, quietly.

The Doctor looked at her, her gaze downtrodden as she spoke in a quiet manner. He could feel many things coming from Lucy. Many emotions.

Sadness. Regret. Fear. Even trace amounts of anger.

She was holding a few things back.

"An old flame, eh?" He repeated, inspecting the music box. "Interesting. Someone introducing you to such a sombre song like this. I wonder why…"

His eyes widened a bit to when he thought back to his meeting with Lucy the night before. He barely heard her sing Lilum when she murdered those four people.

Was this a mantra to her…?

"I never thought one little song could carry such a powerful aura about it." He said. "And yet, I'm feeling such incredible emotions coming from you." He put a hand on her shoulder. "I don't doubt you went through such trying times, being the species you are, and feeling humanity's judgmental attitude towards you. Did this song have anything to do with those times?"

Her hands became antsy, the need to cling and grab onto something becoming more and more prominent. This was one purpose that the music box served, something to cling to, to keep herself from relapsing into a fit of mindless destruction.

She never did learn why Kouta loved that song.

Though it was a pillar of how the two became friends momentarily.

The corners of Lucy's mouth tugged down into a firm expression, not wishing to display any sort of action that could be dubbed as 'vulnerable'. For she was better than that, correct?

Kouta…

How she wished to understand why he did not speak the truth.

—What was so wonderful about that other girl?

Or had it been the fact that she herself held far too much emotion for the boy at the time? But who would not? The first living being to show true kindness to her, the young Diclonius was BOUND to cling to what she had.

_Liar…_

Eventually, her head would lift back up, both hands gripping her thighs to remain steady.

"I—…"

A thick gulp.

Her head shook softly, "… I'd rather not speak of it."

"…I see."

The Doctor put a hand over Lucy's clutching hand and rubbed it. "It must have been something traumatic." He could see Lucy tensing up, her muscles locking as she tried to remain calm and steady her emotions. She wasn't agitated, but it seemed like she needed to let her emotions out. If she didn't wish to speak, then what was so bad to have happened back then…?

Normally, he wouldn't intrude, but a delicate psyche is hanging in the balance. If her emotions bottled up, who know when the geyser may erupt? That could very well turn into a geyser of blood.

Nonetheless, he decided to take a big risk.

"Lucy, look at me."

Lucy's eyes turned to face the Time Lord's, their gazes locking. "I know you don't feel comfortable talking about it, but I propose something. Instead of telling me about it, why don't you show me?"

He raised an index finger. "Time Lords have telepathic abilities. If you wish to show me what happened through mental projections, you're free to do so. I understand that merely talking about it may be difficult to do, hence why I'm suggesting this."

The Doctor put a hand on her shoulder. "I want you to have nothing to worry about. You're my friend, and my companion. I care what happens to you, and will help you in any way possible. I won't enter your mind without your permission."

He smiled. "Now. What say you, Lucy?"

—Was that proposition even a **safe** one? It was clear and obvious that her friend was worried and concerned for her well being and mental stability. The biggest complication HAD to be the threat of her Instinct, just awaiting for a perfect time to get a stronghold on Lucy's mind, taking the reigns and doing whatever it pleased to do.

As physical contact was made, her anxiety gradually dropped, now that she did not stand stagnant and shaking. Instead, a shaking hand reached out, plucking the music box from the Doctor's grip. She would quietly muter an apology, hoping that he wound understand that it was not a gesture of hostility.

"…Showing you, I— my mind isn't safe. There's … Somebody who speaks to me, they've always been there— but they didn't show up, not until…"

Lips pursed, eyes shutting.

Could she make this gamble and hope for the best?

Lucy herself could not remember absolutely everything from the past, and maybe by allowing the Doctor to peer in, he could assist her in moving on.

In rehabilitating.

They WERE friends, correct? She should be able to trust him.

"I guess, if you feel that strong about the situation… How would we even go about that?"

The Doctor's smile persisted. "Simple. I make contact with you telepathically, and I can have access to your mental landscape. I'll be able to wander around freely, though even I'm not sure what's inside someone's mind. It's been a while since I've done so, but if I recall, everyone's mind is different. They have different landscapes and environments."

He drew back Lucy's bangs from her head, getting a clear view of her eyes. "I'm aware I'm taking an awfully big risk with this. I don't know what's going on inside of your head, but if there's… somebody that talks to you in there…" He pointed to her head. "…Then that might not be normal. I need to have a look and see where in your life you started to become this… killer that you were conditioned to be."

The Doctor than put a hand on the music box that Lucy clutched tightly. "And to see where in your life this song took such a hold on you."

He then brought both of his hands to her temples, and looked at her eyes. "Now, if you still don't object to this, shall we begin?"

Inhale, and then exhale. _Keep yourself together, this is important_.

"Okay. I'm ready, Doctor."

The Doctor closed his eyes as he concentrated. He then was able to establish a successful mental link with Lucy.

"Contact."

She could feel the fingertips barely touch the base of her horns, since they grew so close to her temples. Lucy blinked a few times, before relaxing and focusing so that the much taller man could perform this odd phenomenon.

Once her shoulders loosened up, the Diclonius allowed her mind to be looked into.

* * *

The mental landscape stood bare, with soft tones of blue mixing with the harsh blackness around.

If one were to be consumed by this environment and walk, their footsteps would echo against unseen walls.

All was silent, before the Doctor would be able to see through the eyes of a much, much younger Lucy. His presence that of a ghost, observing her memories like a play.

Two separate, feminine voices could be heard outside of a door right next to a bunk bed. Simple pieces of furniture, including a dresser and a desk could be seen. "_Did you hear? That girl has a fever _**again**_._" "_Again? Ugh, that kid gives me the never plays with any of the other children, and nobody wants to bunk with her—_" "_—__And those horns, they're so disgusting_."

"Her horns? _Disgusting…?"_ The Doctor repeated.

A soft sigh, and the young child would sit up, breathing out softly before slipping out of her bed, maneuvering her way through hallways before winding up outside. The young one would wind up collapsing on the ground, laying there for a moment before small footsteps could be heard. Paws! Lifting her head up, the child looks upon a small puppy in front of her. "Did you come over here because you were worried about me?" She would rhetorically ask quietly, her voice extremely soft spoken. "Don't worry… I'm not lonely. I'm—… I'm not lonely…"

The Doctor couldn't help but smile. "That certainly explains your affinity for K-9, Lucy." He said to himself.

— Abruptly, the sight shifted to what seemed to be a classroom; the young horned one was surrounded by three seemingly older boys, the main one goading and egging her on. "You know, I heard they found you all alone in a field," his voice rose and fell, almost in a playful manner, "I bet your parents abandoned you because of those freaky horns on your head!" Unresponsive, the young girl would try to ignore it all; it seemed this was 'normal'. Turning to leave, she would be tripped by another one of the boys, the three then laughing in a cruel way. "Ahahaha! You must be some sort of animal because you're DEFINITELY not human!"

The Doctor couldn't help but feel sympathy for Lucy. He knew children could be cruel at times, but this… This was just terrible.

"Oh no…" He said. "Oh dear. You were bullied, Lucy…?"

Vision went black, and then appeared once more momentarily.

The sight shifted into something different. It was the same room, this time, with Lucy being held by one of the kids in a full nelson hold. He then heard frantic barking.

It was the puppy!

What happened next, the Doctor could not believe.

Held back and bound by one of the bullies' arms, the young Diclonius struggled in his grip, trying to break free before her one companion, her one little ray of light, was harmed. But to no avail, the child would not be successful…

_W-why?! Why is this happening?!_ _  
_With each strike that Tomoo inflicted on the small canine, the child struggled harder, and harder, trying to break FREE! If she could only break that hold she could save him! "Stop it! " Another little girl runs into the room, trying to stop the boys from hurting the dog further. The pinkette would recognize this child as one of the people she asked to keep the dog a secret from Tomoo and the other boys. —Thus,furthering the devastation when she heard him say, "Tch, why? You're the one who told us about the dumb dog anyways," the boy scoffed. —The little Diclonius gasped, eyes widening, before her head dropped. _…__And since they're unhappy, they're probably looking for somebody who's worse off than they are._

The Doctor's eyes widened as the event transpired before him.

He couldn't bear to watch the children that beat the poor, defenseless dog to death, and the revelation that one of the kids was forced to tell them about the puppy.

Lucy's voice mumbled. "You know who isn't human…?" Then rose ever so lightly. "You KNOW who isn't HUMAN…?!" —And then, the scream. A screech. A voice full of absolute hatred and venom. "_PEOPLE LIKE YOU!_" Lucy didn't notice what had happened to her when her rage took over. But to the Doctor, he witnessed something he did not expect.

For within an instant…

The town was painted red, so to speak.

In a quick moment, the three children's heads exploded, leaving no traces of anything above their necks. The entire walls and ceiling stained with blood, bits of skull and traces of brain matter. The whole room was deathly quiet.

The Time Lord fell to his knees. He shook his head at the sight before him. "Oh Lucy…" It was all he was able to say.

What could he say, though…?

Lucy's vision would blank out for only seconds, before it focused back in. Something had over come the young child, something strong. Something gruesome— but what it was? She did not know. It felt as if some sort of uncontrollable force had came from her core, reaching out— prepared to stop all of it once and for all— All the child was aware of— —was that she had to get out and away from the mess she had caused. The death that followed her outburst, Nearly an hour passed as the young horned one went at digging a small grave for her puppy, recovering it and placing a large stone over it as a marker. She would stand there for a while, just looking down at it. "—Why do I have to be treated like this? Just because I'm a little different? It's not fair… It's not fair!" The child mutters, her voice now returning to the usual soft spoken tone.

Eventually, the environment shifted as it showed Lucy digging a grave for the deceased puppy. The Doctor only wished he could hug the small child as she started to cry.

"Oh, Lucy." He said to himself. "If only you could understand. That's _not_ humanity. Those children were terrible…"

And then… _Thump._ An object fell to the ground behind her, playing a peculiar song.

"Lilium." The Doctor murmured, as he looked on.

It would go on for a few moments, before a youth reached down, retrieving it. Him and the young girl turned murderer looked at each other in silence. "Uhm… Are you alright?" He'd eventually speak up, eyeing the horned child. Embarrassedby her staring, the young Diclonius replied softly. "…I just thought it was a pretty song, that's all." The boy smiled, replying, "Really—?" and then paused, taking a look at the bony protrusions coming from her temples. Before he could say anything, the girl would catch his staring, huffing and covering them. "I bet you think they're disgusting, don't you?" —On the contrary, the boy would rush forward and grab her shoulders, grinning, "No WAY! They're so cool! . . I'm jealous!" All within moments, the Diclonius would be taken aback, eyes widening, cheeks flushing. "My name is Kouta, we should play together sometime!"

The source of the lament had been discovered.

"…Was this why Lilium has a hold on you, Lucy…?"

The questions only kept coming, as the sight shifted into something different.

Once everything became clear once more on a much more pleasant image. Two children sitting in the rain together, a hat had been placed on young Lucy's head to cover up her horns. Something along the line of the boy believing that they made her sad. Perhaps covering them up would make her feel better?

They spoke together, smiling and laughing as the rain fell. Kouta happened to be a 'budding artist', sketching the landscape and different animals in his sketchbook.

The Doctor peered over Kouta's shoulder. He was very impressed by his work, too. "You've got the makings of a modern day Van Gogh, my boy." He said, knowing full well the child couldn't hear him.

All the while, the music box remained open, playing the gentle tune between the two over, and over, and over again.

When evening was nearing, Kouta had to return home; of course, the little Diclonius understood, nodding. "Let's play again some other time!" The boy insisted. Once again, an unfamiliar sense of joy went through the little one's heart, smiling ear to ear. "Oh. . Alright!" This would continue for several days, the two spending time together as the Diclonius came to understand what it was like to live happily. What it was like for somebody to value their existence. —But all the while, every evening, little Lucy was required to perform… 'Necessary' evils in order to get by. Each night, a family would be 'disposed' of, so that she had a place to sleep. It was as if there was a small voice, muttering and reminding her of what to do. And the Diclonius was more than willing to obey. Because she had Kouta to cheer her up.

The sight then shifted as it showed a house lit up in the evening. He could see Lucy standing in front of the door to the house, and opening it. The next thing the Doctor could hear was a family screaming and visceral explosions inside. He saw a window splattered with fresh blood, and the lights turned out.

The Doctor's eyes widened. "…Lucy? That couldn't have been you…"

The environment shifted. On the fifth day, he would arrive a little later than usual, but she was happy nonetheless.

The sight shifted once again. This time, Lucy and Kouta were back together once again, as if nothing had happened.

This started to make the Doctor feel uneasy…

"—Uhm, Kouta…?"

The last day of their time together had been spent at a local zoo, where Lucy had the chance to look at all sorts of bizarre and stranger animals that she had never seen before, not even in books! The elephants and giraffes were some of her favorites, along with some of the slimy,scalyreptiles crawling about on their bellies.

A moment was taken, however, to allow the young girl to know that Kouta would be attending a festival in town the next day with his cousin, which was why he could not spend time with the pinkette.

When the day wrapped up, she wanted to ask a question that held importance for the strangest of reasons.

"Your cousin that you're going with, did you say it was a boy, or a girl?" Her voice did not hold much confidence, due to the fact that she expected the worst.

—This was when Kouta would make a dire mistake.

"Oh— it's a boy," he answered with fake reassurance; the horned child would be too relieved to notice the lie.

"Oh, that's great! Then, uhm— Then tomorrow, I'm going to come say goodbye at the train station," she replied, running off for the night.

Finally, once more, the environment would shift and change to Lucy standing in a crowded street; it appeared that she was impatient, and wanted to see her friend. But who wouldn't? She's a child, any youth would want to do that.

As she scouted the boy out in the crowd, Lucy would finally find Kouta— and his_ female_ cousin.

—Did he see her?

—No, she was far behind the crowd, good— she did not want her friend to see her shock.

"B-but… But why…?" Her voice fell.

And that was when the landscape of her mind could be seen once more. Lucy fell to her knees, tears welling up in her eyes. A hallucination of Kouta, standing there with a twisted expression, would utter.

"I would never fall for a girl, with horns growing out of her head," the apparition provoked.

"Th-then, then Kouta, why would you—-"

"I told you… I like looking at_ weird animals_."

That vision would vanish, as the horrible, macabre figures of her orphanage bullies appeared, once again tormenting the girl from the grave. Lucy couldn't take much more.

The Time Lord could see apparitions of everybody she came into contact with. Kouta and the three bullies. They taunted her, as if they didn't care for her. She was crying.

The Doctor went over to Lucy and knelt down next to her. His eyes looked down at her sullenly.

"A-alright! I can't take it anymore!" she cried out desperately, "No family, no friends, no home— I-I can't do this!"

As she cried and wailed and curled into herself, eventually the pit pat of feet would be heard, as one last figure approached the child, wrapped in bandages, limp and lithe. The way it moved— it was reminicent of Lucy's adult form.

The Doctor immediately felt a chilling evil feeling coming from the Lucy look-a-like.

It would bend down, a hand patting the trembling girl. Turning around, Lucy's eyes widened in shock as the bandages fell. An exact copy of herself… But far more menacing, a hand held out in beckon. Her mouth widened into a wild grin, eyes full.

"As you can see… There is no room for people like us in this world. But… I have plenty of power that I can give you. Choose," the figure's voice was soothing, "a life alone, full of suffering and anxiety… Or… You can make the world… In _your_ vision, a home for yourself. It's that simple…"

The girl remained silent, bowing her head briefly.

"I'm sorry Kouta… I really liked you," she muttered through sniffles, reaching and grabbing the figure's hand, Kouta's hat falling off of her head.

Immediately, that menacing, overwhelmingly strength exerted itself as Lucy's vectors were released in full power, cutting down the ground limb from limb around her, standing there, not a single finger lifted.

"_… __I'll kill all of you… Each and every one of you…_"

Meanwhile, Yuka, Kouta, and his little sister Kanae were already at the train station, unaware of everything that had happened. A rumor was spreading that it was a bomb— nobody would ever know of what truly happened.

When the family boarded the train, they remained there for a while, chatting among themselves until Kanae and Kouta got into a childish argument; but the little sister had brought up something that the boy would NEVER believe.

"I saw it! It was a girl with horns! Everywhere she went, somebody got killed!"

… Awaiting in the next cart, was the mentally cracked Diclonius.

It would not take long for an encounter to be triggered.

"…_You're_… _A liar_…"

It happened so quickly, that the vision of the entire scene was almost corrupt; Kanae fell, and then the father.

A horrid shriek of terror, crying and desperation.

"Wh-... why? WHY!? I thought we were friends!"

Lucy looked upwards, her eyes now glazed over. "What do you mean? We're friends. _That's_ why I didn't kill you."

Kouta gasped, as his eyes bulged out.

"Now... I'll kill that _stupid girl_."

The sentence processed in his head, and it hit him.

_Stupid girl...?_

_Yuka!_

Kouta bounded forward, trying to grab onto Lucy—

"**STOP IT! PLEASE! NO MORE! NO MORE! I'M BEGGING YOU! PLEASE! STOP IT!**"

And then, everything went black once more.

The environment faded as he was back inside Lucy's mental landscape. It was dark. Very dark. Nothing but pitch black, except with Lucy herself spotlit.

His eyes widened. This was not possible. How could something like this happen to a mere child? And the people she killed? She killed a child's sister and father in front of him. He only hoped that boy was okay.

He fell to his knees, as he brought a hand to his temple.

It was as bad as the nightmare he had earlier. She _really was_ a force to be reckoned with. But surely, there was some good in her…?

"Lucy..." He said, looking at the spot lit young Diclonius. "I'm so sorry. I'm so very sorry this happened to you."

Something good needed to happen to Lucy. The Doctor would ensure it by ANY means. It was time she found happiness.

Slowly, he picked himself up, and turned around.

He noticed the same girl that talked to the younger Lucy in the flashbacks.

This didn't appear to be a flashback, however…

With peaked curiosity, the Doctor gingerly leaned forward.

"Hello…?" He merely greeted, his eyes still widened. He didn't flash a toothy grin this time around. Something seemed wrong here.

Very wrong.

The apparition stood there, unmoving, the bandages still attached to her thin frame, but not as tightly wrung as they usually were. There was an object held between her hands; a helmet, cracked down the middle, half of it missing.

Eventually, after moments of stunning, bone chilling silence, the girl would speak up, her voice resonating through the entire landscape.

"_… __Isn't it wonderful? How I'm no longer that weak outcast? I'm the one who is in control now… Even when I was confined to these shackles, I still reached out with my will, and vanquished whatever disgusting humans came close to me._"

She began to shamble forward with the exact movements that the Doctor would have seen when he first came face to face with the Diclonius the night prior.

"_Nobody is ever going to hurt me again. Especially not you._"

The voice was low— it was apathetic, and yet it carried possibly the strongest dose of hatred one could ever find in such a young individual.

"_You actually think I would trust somebody again? No… I'm going to change the world… And I will make sure that you are the the very last one left. Maybe I will make your death quick, but that would not be fun at all._"

The Doctor's mouth opened slightly, as he began to back away.

"No." He said. "You're not Lucy. You're merely a personification of her hatred. You're one of the reasons she became this killer. She's not that."

He stared daggers at the girl that ambled forward. "You've plagued her. You filled her with so much hatred for only a few exceptions of humans. They are so much, _so much_ better than that. Those children… That was the dark side of humanity I've mentioned to Lucy when I first met her. Surely you heard that. They are capable of so many great things, and I've witnessed them first hand. Humans are a wonderful race, even if only a select few leave a lot to be desired. That's the case with _every other race_. And before you say different, I am not human. You look upon a Time Lord."

The Doctor then stood back firm, keeping his feet planted. "I'm not going to let you taint Lucy any further. I will not allow you to manipulate her to kill. I will _most certainly_ not allow you to kill every human on this planet."

His brow furrowed as his tone lowered, taking a sense of authority. "I am the Doctor." He said with conviction. "And you _will not_ kill me_. _I_ will _stop you."

"_Plagued her…? Oh… You naive man… Had I not accepted my destiny as the great herald of destruction, to bring the downfall of humans, they would have killed me first…_" Her eyes were wide, that of a maniac, teeth snaring into the expression that a predator would before pouncing onto prey.

"_Look at the way that humans crawl… All they are capable of doing is killing each other out of greed and hunger for physical and mental gain. Had I not come along… They would have wiped themselves out anyways._"

As if they were serpents, four vectors appeared from the Instinct's back, though in this landscape, they were visible to the naked eye.

A snicker followed the flash of a smirk on the young figure's face, "_Just what do you plan on fixing, Doctor? Do you honestly believe you will leave and turn me into a gentle creature, willing to sit at the feet of humans as their dog? I am not that pathetic…However… I sense that there is plenty for me to learn by tapping into that mind of yours. Eheh. Eheheh!_"

Slipping around, one of the vectors shot out as if it were striking a target, the fingertips of the appendage plunging into the Doctor's forehead, though no physical harm was given.

"_Careful… Do not move. All it takes is the movement of an artery within your brain… My lightest touch can end you._"

The Doctor's eyes widened in alert. The vector moved too fast for him to evade, and it stuck out of his forehead. He could see the transparent limb stretching all the way from the young apparition as the bandages slowly began to fall off of her face, showing her bulging eyes and predatory teeth.

"…You're mad." He whispered. "You're completely mad! Is that really what you believe? Had you not come along, humans would wipe themselves out completely? What sort of idea is that?"

He tried to keep his breathing controlled. He could sense the vector inside his brain, as if its fingers were _just barely_ pinching the artery. One little movement could trigger a Regeneration. He needed to think of a way out of this. And fast.

"You don't know humans as well as I do. I've experienced so many things from them, good and bad. Humans are capable of so many great things, and they have accomplished those things in the times I've been to. You've heard me talk of things of great wonder that they can do when I was talking to Lucy. You must believe me."

The Doctor raised a hand in front of him. "I can help you. It's _okay_ to be different. There's no reason to have this murderous misanthropic attitude. I've offered to help Lucy see humanity in a different light. Through my eyes. Surely, you'll be able to see it too."

He then pointed to his head. "Do you also believe that killing me will solve anything? Will it do nothing except satiate that bloodlust of yours?" He shook his head. "It won't, I tell you. If you remember, the TARDIS is in orbit right now. If you kill me now, the TARDIS will be adrift for who knows how long, with Lucy stranded on it. You and I both know we don't want that."

He grabbed his head with one of his hands. Something was seeming very wrong here. "Please. Let me help you. Mass genocide will not solve anything."

"_You are trying to talk yourself out of the inevitable… Whether it is now, or later on in the path, all of you are going to die at my hands… The Lucy that you know is a shell of what I used to be… A child with hope… Now we are strong, we are going to accomplish… So many great things…! Wonderful things…! And what you require…_"

The Instinct sat on the ground, a knee pulled up to her chest, grinning like a mad man's cheshire. Her fingertips gripped at the leg, muttering to herself, words dripping and dropping, but unheard.

"_You require discipline…_"

Her neck bent in an unnatural position, one that you would find on roadkill, or an animal shot for sport.

"_Yes… You are a truly lonely man, are you not? You've the whole universe at your fingertips, plenty of people, but nothing is permanent with you, is it? Companions here and there, but nothing ever stays the same…I'm sure you've disappointed plenty of humans… And NON humans! That is the wonderful thing about you, your stretch is far more than just to the filth crawling on earth… You've earned yourself some enemies, haven't you…? H-huh… It's all right there… _"

Both hands reached, crawling up the Instinct's neck to her cheeks, fingers digging into the flesh, the corner of her mouth twitching. More vectors appeared, branching out as figures began to manifest— figures of the Doctor's psyche and memories. What they were exactly, could not be identified, not until they were more solid.

The Doctor flicked his eyes about as the unknown figures began to take shape. The Instinct's vectors forming figures he knew not what.

Until he started to hear voices.

"…EXTERMINATE!"

His eyes widened. "Impossible…"

"EXTERMINATE!"

One of the figures started to take shape as the familiar cry began to rang out.

It was a Dalek.

"**EXTERMINATE!"**

"What are you doing…?" He asked. "How are you doing this?"

"**YOU WILL CEASE TALKING, DOCTOR!"** The Dalek said.

"Don't you begin to tell me what to do!" He shouted at the Dalek. "You're not real! You're an illusion!"

"On the contrary, Doctor." One familiar cybernetic voice said. "You may not listen to my Daleks, but you will listen to me."

Another figure began to take form. It was another enemy that he hadn't seen in ages.

"…Davros…?" He whispered. "What are you doing here…? You were killed on Skaro. How are you in Lucy's mind…?"

"Oh, Doctor. You are truly such a fool from the last time we met." Davros said. "I merely have to be in agreement with this little girl. To think, the Daleks alone could conquer mere galaxies, but one Diclonius can wipe out an entire planet's civilization?" Davros tapped his control console as a small smile formed on his deformed face. "Ingenious. That alone could be proven to be a great ally to the Daleks."

"No, Davros." He said. "Lucy would never do such a thing. Not for you or the Daleks."

Davros laughed. "Do you really believe that to be the case? Lucy is a Goddess of Destruction, second only to my own genius intellect. Together, we will crush those who oppose us, and conquer multiple planets! Our reach will extend to the far reaches of the galaxy! AND WITH OUR ALLIANCE, THE DALEKS WILL CONQUER THE UNIVERSE! EVERY ONE WILL FEAR THE NAME, DAVROS!"

"SHUT UP! I'LL STOP YOU IF IT COSTS MY LIFE, DAVROS!" The Doctor was rife with anger and fury.

Another form started to take shape, until it took to a form that he was familiar with from his first incarnation.

"Just like you, my dear Doctor." It said, a familiar bearded face taking shape. "So full of fury and anger, when really, we can make the universe a better place under a certain society."

The face fully came into view.

"_My_ society."

His eyes widened.

"The Master." He said. "…How did you…? What's going on here?"

"If you can't even kill Davros, Doctor, what makes you think that you can stop me?" The Master asked with a coy smile. "You've always known me best, and thwarted all of my plans. Why would you never kill me?"

"Because…" He started to grip his head. "It wouldn't be right. You can change. Please. You don't have to be this-"

"Silence, Doctor!" The Master snapped. "You WILL NOT BEGIN to tell me what I can or cannot do. I will defeat you, Doctor. And the universe will be ruled under my own leadership." He knelt down and patted the Doctor's shoulder. "And when I rule the universe, I will keep you as my prisoner. I will torture you, and kill you a dozen times over until you have no regenerations left."

He started to chuckle. "You've failed, Doctor. All of those people you let down and disappointed. Your friends will suffer, just as you will by my hand. Mark my words, Doctor! They will die!"

The Master then cackled menacingly, his laughs echoing across the mental landscape. The Doctor began to grip both sides of his head tightly, the vector still in his head. His eyes were scrunched shut in pain. It was becoming to much for him to bear.

* * *

Outside in Lucy's room, the Doctor began to shake as he tried to maintain the telepathic link. His breathing was ragged. Something had gone wrong.

"…Lucy…" He said, trying to keep his composure. "Something has entered my mind. What… what's going on…?"

* * *

As the fray within the mental landscape began to bloom into something of ill, evil intent, the Diclonius herself had spaced out into a deep, distant state, unable to directly react to what exactly was happening within her psyche. She heard terrible, terrible voices, not just the usual rambling and chiding of her Instinct, but several that Lucy had never encountered before hand.

And as the hallucinations that plagued and came upon the Doctor crashed and battered him, eventually they would all cease, the Instinct now standing right in front of the scarved man. Her face was that of renegade, sinful beast, straight from the deepest trenches of Hell itself. The vector that gripped her target's mind slipped away, instead using two of them to pin him down; she hovered over him, glancing down with that utterly horrible smirk of her's.

—In the distance, a distinct sound of a bell tower chime, followed by men's voices, chanting those all too familiar words.

_Os iusti meditabitur sapientiam…_ _Et lingua eius…_ _loquetur indicium._

"_I'm sorry… But I have to bring this meeting to an end… It's a pity, really. I thought we could be good friends_," she mused, mimicking the speaking pattern of Lucy herself, hands hung to the sides, "_… But you are suffering… Don't worry, I'll put you out of your misery_."

_Beatus vir qui suffert tentationem…_ _Quoniqm cum probates fuerit accipient coronam vitae..._

Just as one of the tendril vectors reached around and yank at the Doctor's dominant arm, an abrupt sound would pierce the veil, interrupting the reign of terror.

"**Stop this! Stop it right now!**"

Running forward and speaking as loud as she could, was the elder Diclonius, now standing behind the childish Instinct. Her own weapons appeared, reaching out to try and stop the onslaught.

"_H-hhmm…H-hhmhmhm! What are you doing…? There is no point in trying to harm yourself. I'm going to die if I try and do this_," the shorter creature chided.

"No! I refuse this!" The Doctor cried. "I deny this reality!"

His arm was then snapped into two by the Instinct. The Doctor let out a blood curdling scream of pain.

"_I AM your reality, Doctor. So too, shall I be your death!"_

"Leave him alone!"

Lucy's vectors reached around and tore back one of the Instinct's legs, a distorted, horrific sound emanating from it's maw.

"**YOU STUPID GIRL. YOU CANNOT TRUST ANYBODY, WHY HURT YOURSELF?**"

_Kyrie, fons bonitatis._ _Kyrie, ignis divine, eleison!_

The elder inhaled sharply, shouting, "This mind belongs to ME, not you!"

As her words attempted to get out, the Instinct's eyes widened, her jaw hanging open in a macabre manner, ripping of the Doctor's remaining arm.

"_Hehehehe... HAHAHAHAHAHA!" _The Instinct let out a beastly laugh, as if the devil had risen from the depths of hell. "_Look what you made me do, Lucy!"_

The Doctor continued screaming as the pain he felt became too much for him to bear.

"This isn't happening!" He shouted. "I deny this! It's not real! IT'S NOT REAL!" Opening his eyes, he saw Lucy just behind the Instinct, trying to stop it.

"Doctor!"

"Lucy! Get out of here!" He shouted. "Lucy, please! Don't worry about me! Just get-"

His sentence was cut off, as he was bisected from the torso, his own spinal cord being severed within an instant.

* * *

It was a blur. He felt himself being rushed back into reality. As if he just got thrown out of Lucy's mind, the Doctor's head was arched backward, his hands gripping it as he screamed in pain. He lowered his head, looking at Lucy with widened eyes, terror and horror taking a stranglehold on the Time Lord's emotions. His breathing was heavy, short, and ragged. His vision started to blur as his surroundings turned into a haze.

Standing up, he stumbled across the room, before crashing into the door and planting his back on the corridor walls, gripping one of the roundels. The Doctor tried to amble through the corridor for only a second, but fell to his knees. Trying to crawl, he attempted to shake the cobwebs out of his head. He need to heal his brain. He was encountering a synaptic overload.

He reached his hand across, _trying_ to crawl, but the amount of stress on his brain was too much. The Doctor then fell face first, unconscious.


	2. Part Two

**DOCTOR WHO AND THE DICLONIUS**

by Isaac "Izzy" Raimi and Mary Vitals

* * *

**PART TWO**

Everything eventually flushed out, returning to the real world; it seemed that the Diclonius had gotten a grip on her Instinct, fighting it back and locking away the killer, despite the shouting and taunting remaining afterwards. Such bitter and hateful words for a childish apparition. Dahlia eyes sharpened and then squinted, steadying herself on two feet— but as she did, the man she had just saved had already stumbled and shambled out of the room.

"D-Doctor!"

Lucy run after him, noticing the fragile state in which was he was in, not sure at all how to assist— all she knew was that the Instinct had taken a toll on his sanity, and he NEEDED help, NOW. A hand reached to check that his heart— rather, hearts, were beating. Panting and looking around in dire need, the beast stuttered and shouted incoherent things, looking for any source of help through the tears of guilt.

—K-9! She had forgotten about the robotronic, and was now harping and yelling for him.

"**K-9! HELP! HELP! PLEASE HELP!**"

Her pleads were that of her youthful past, not the hollow shell that she usually was— and was this all due to the fact that somebody she trusted was in harm's way?

There was plenty of blame upon herself behind it all, knowing that a fragment of herself had caused all of it, while she could barely do anything about it.

K-9 was making his rounds from the console room to Lucy's room, keeping guard in case something were to happen. He had left the console room about a few minutes after the Doctor did. As he rolled down the corridor, he heard shouting from a short distance.

"Mistress?"

He then accelerated, increasing his speed before coming upon Lucy and the collapsed Doctor.

"Mistress?" He asked. K-9 then rolled next to the Doctor. "Master?"

His ears swiveled, detecting that indeed, something was wrong with the Time Lord.

"Danger!" the dog said. "Possible mental health emergency. Synaptic overload has been detected in the Doctor's brain." His ears swiveled a bit more before stopping. "Neurological scans indicate that the Doctor is currently in a healing coma. It is near impossible to wake him."

He then rolled in front of Lucy and the Doctor as his ears swiveled again. "The Doctor spoke of a room that contains healing properties exclusive to Gallifreyans." K-9 said. "It has been located from my memory banks. Please, carry the Doctor. I shall escort you, Mistress."

With that, K-9 rolled ahead of the two, making for the special room in the TARDIS he mentioned.

Almost immediately, Lucy allowed all four of her vectors to reach down and carefully bring the Doctor up enough to be carried; she harbored enough discipline within the appendages that they could be used to move stuff, and not destroy the living cells that they touched. She followed the robotronic canine as quickly as she could, the sound of her heart thumping in the back of the Diclonius' mind.

_I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let you done that._

"Should I do anything else?" The woman's voice shook, as if she were a child once more, naive and scared, not sure as to what was going on. If it were in fact possible to bring the scarved one out of this coma-like state, Lucy would be more than thankful. And from what it looked like, this room that K-9 had described earlier would probably do the trick.

Upon arrival, Lucy glanced down, awaiting direction.

"Negative, Mistress." K-9 responded. "There is nothing that we can do at this current time. The Doctor needs to recuperate, and we must make sure he is nursed to full health."

The robot's ears swiveled before stopping at a fork in the corridor. "This way, Mistress." The dog said before turning left. "The Doctor-Master uploaded an architectural configuration map of the TARDIS to my neural net some time before he activated me. I should be able to locate the room he mentioned without any trouble." They rounded another corner as they made the long journey to the room.

"He has referred to this room simply as the Zero Room." K-9 would explain. "Aside from its name, I possess insufficient data about its actual properties."

"Zero Room… Right," the Diclonius breathed, doing her best to calm her nerves. As the two spoke, she could practically feel the Instinct breathing down her neck, wishing to claw out and finish the job she had started. Those mangled limbs and eager teeth bearing— it was all unnerving.

Eyes glanced down, taking a look at the unmoving body of the Doctor; another sigh, and her vision returned forward, doing her best to not look at the uncomfortable, yet distantly damage expression on his face.

"—What exactly is going to happen once we drop him in there?"

K-9 continued to lead the Diclonius and his fallen master down the near infinite corridors leading to the Zero Room.

"Unsure at the moment, Mistress." K-9 responded promptly. "Too many variables are accounted for in this situation. It is uncertain the probability of the Doctor's healing and what properties the Zero Room will bestow upon him. However, we know one objective that must be completed. We must take him there for him to heal."

He stopped and swiveled his ears. "This way, Mistress." K-9 chirped, propelling forward again.

About a few minutes in, K-9 and Lucy found themselves in a large, open area of the TARDIS, with what appeared to be columns populating the room. Behind one of the columns lay a hidden set of doors.

Though, they weren't so hidden as K-9 detected them right off the bat.

"Through here, Mistress." K-9 said as he lead the Diclonius to the hidden entrance. "The Zero Room lies just beyond these doors."

A solemn nod as she passed through the doors, her vectors still keeping a grip on the unconscious man Lucy gulped softly, not sure what she was about to step into— but it was necessary, and the safety of her companion was the priority at this moment.

—A wide, odd room; the Diclonius had absolutely no idea what she was expecting, though it was evident that she had imagined it to be more, technical? It was barren! Light pink in appearance, with plenty of space for somebody, or several people, to fit in comfortably.

Glancing to and fro, she simply awaited for something, ANYTHING to trigger— her shoulder's sharpened, heart palpitating due to being nervous, along with the anxiety of the entire situation to fail in some way.

"Well, here's to it…"

K-9 rolled into the room with Lucy as she closed the doors behind her, her vectors still keeping a grip on the Doctor, as if he were levitating on an invisible gurney. The Zero Room was very quiet, almost deathly silent. The Doctor was sat down by Lucy, on the hard ground of the Zero Room. Many minutes had passed, in what seemed like an eternity, the Doctor still lying comatose, completely unmoving.

Until a familiar voice rang through the vast empty room.

"_Dear goodness, this floor is hard. Far too uncomfortable."_

The Doctor's body then began to levitate, his body elevating inches above the ground, until he had reached Lucy's chest and held the levitation there.

"_There we are. Much better."_

It was the Doctor's voice. As if he were projecting himself on a loudspeaker system, his calm baritone voice rang through the emptiness of the Zero Room.

"_I see that K-9 was able to escort you to the Zero Room without any trouble. Good job, K-9."_

"Affirmative." K-9 said, his wire tail wagging.

"_Now, don't be alarmed Lucy."_ The Time Lord projected. _"You are indeed hearing my voice. The Zero Room is able to enhance my telepathy beyond simple mind to mind communication. Hence why you can hear me plain as day in here. And yes, I am still comatose. But thankfully you and K-9 got me here just in time, so I still have a bit of energy to talk while I rest and recuperate."_

The Doctor paused, as if trying to sense Lucy's emotions. _"First thing is first, Lucy."_ He said. _"Are you alright?"_

A voice! A recognizable one, the DOCTOR's to be exact. It had felt like hours since the last time that Lucy heard that tone, though it had only been briefly— in fact, far less than that. However, through the panic and disturbance, this entire fiasco's timespan was unknown.

Dahlia eyes flickered around, trying to track down the source of the disembodied voice, only to realized that it simply echoed through the room.

"_I—-_"

Biting her lip gently, the beast inhaled, exhaled, and inhaled once more, trying to keep her emotions in check; it was similar to appearing upset in front of a family member. You never wished to do so, for they would share that same feeling.

Not to mention the guilt that still hung heavy in the air around Lucy.

"_I'm alright, don't be concerned about me_," she mutters, a frown apparent on the young woman's features, "_are _**you**_ alright…?_"

"_Since you got me to the Zero Room just in time, I will be."_ Said the Doctor. _"Had you not got me here, there's no telling how long I would be comatose. I just need to remain here until my dendrites heal."_

This entire time, the mutation was scolding herself mentally; how could she POSSIBLY have lost a grip for so long on the Instinct?! She was usually able to hold it back for a while— was she becoming stronger and more prominent?

It was terrifying.

And once again, it whispered softly in that disgusting voice.

_I'm always here…_

The Time Lord's body remained still as he levitated, his face as peaceful as if he were sleeping. _"My brain must have experienced a synaptic overload after that torturous episode with that… whoever that was. A Time Lord's brain functions a lot different from a human's. Even yours, Lucy. Our thought processes end up being quicker, which equals to more signals firing off. That truly did feel like an overload. After you saw what had happened to me, my own "psuedo-death" may have what triggered this healing coma. In any case, I should be back up after a certain amount of time."_

The Doctor paused as he sensed Lucy's emotions fluctuating. _"Please be upfront with me, Lucy."_ He projected. _"What was that I encountered in your mind?"_

The beast stepped back slightly, a hand slipping up to press against the side of her head; Lucy's brows furrowed, knowing very well just how malicious the Instinct could become whenever she was in a fragile situation as this. It was dire that the Diclonius prevented any sort of damage at this moment—

"It was **her**," she breathed, starting the explanation through clenched teeth. For a brief moment, several inhales and deep exhales followed before Lucy could stabilize herself enough to converse safely. The mutters and mumbles of the voice's psychotic desires, always threatening to rear, were gradually being watered down, "_the being I spoke about, my Instinct… She has been there since I was a young child, and she was the one who brought forth my power for the first time_."

"_Lucy. Lucy, please. Calm yourself."_ The Doctor projected. _"It's alright. Don't push yourself any further. I can see that this 'Instinct' can cause you mental trauma the longer you speak about it. Please, take a deep breath and calm down."_

The Doctor paused as he waited for Lucy to calm down and stabilize. No wonder she had those murderous emotions. This voice, this construct, this… 'Instinct' is what implants those feelings of bloodlust into her. Judging by her flashbacks, if this was what she endured since her childhood, then there's no telling what would happen if this beast were unleashed.

After it seemed that Lucy calmed herself, the Doctor spoke again. _"This will not be easy, Lucy. For the both of us. I've overcome challenges and obstacles in the past, but never when it involved the mental safety of my friends. You are strong, though, Lucy. Please believe me. You are not a monster. You never were. I've seen monsters during my time, and I've vanquished them when they refused to turn away from their ways of evil. I know that you can get through this. Even you can overcome this 'Instinct' that has plagued your mind."_

The Doctor's body continued to float as his mind projected from the walls of the Zero Room _"This 'Instinct' is the epitome of evil. I don't know what I'm going to do, but I'm going to help you. You'll have to trust me, though, Lucy. I know it's hasn't been easy for you to do so all of your life. But, if it will cost me a regeneration, or even my life, then so be it."_

He emphasized the next part.

"_I will help you, Lucy. But you'll have to trust me."_

It was a cocktail of emotion and judgment— how she LONGED to trust this man before her— but how could she entrust another, when Lucy was incapable of controlling _herself?_Here she stood, only fractions of time had separated the Doctor from a fatality within her psyche. Had she not pushed herself in enough time—

Had she been unable to combat that devilish intent within—

**The beast did not want to over think that**.

Hands gripped the sides of her head firmly, inhaling and exhaling like that of a panic attack victim. He was determined to make sure that Lucy did not believe herself to be a monster. Dead and DETERMINED to live to tell the tale of a Diclonius purifying her inner evil.

"_—How can I ever allow myself to be around you, knowing that at any moment I will lose control, sinking into turmoil, and possibly killing you?! That encounter— that last encounter— it was only within my head! What would you do if it had been manifested here!_"

Lucy's guilt was immense indeed.

And yet— yet as she wailed and cried, she could not completely lose hope in the possibility of a turn around…

Her eyes unfocused, lidding and staring at nothing.

_Even if humanity had been different… Still… I would not be able to prevent myself from shedding blood…_

As these thoughts flashed in her head, Lucy spoke up again, "It might be smart to let you rest here for a while— I need to set my mind straight— I should go back to my room."

"_I may be inclined to agree with you, Lucy."_ The Doctor projected. _"Your mind is far too fragile right now. It would be wise if you clear it during my healing time."_ After a pause, he spoke again. _"However, I'm not going to let you be alone. You've been alone for far too long. You need a friend. And K-9 is good enough for the task."_

K-9's head perked up. "What is it you require, Master?" The dog asked.

"_K-9, escort Lucy back to her room, and keep her company."_ Said the Doctor. _"If she needs to take her mind off further, show her the Library and the Swimming Pool. She needs to alleviate stress and get her mind off of that 'Instinct'."_

"Affirmative." K-9 responded.

"_One last thing, K-9."_ He said. _"Please talk to Lucy. Make conversation with her as best you can, without sounding dreary and boring. She doesn't need to hear about the formation of a neutron star."_

"Affirmative."

"_Now go, Lucy. Get dressed and clear your mind. I still must heal. And believe me... Everything will be alright."_ He tried his best to project happiness in his voice, to show Lucy that he wasn't out of it.

* * *

Lucy would make her way back to her room, finding herself standing before the vanity that was provided. The mirror allowed the Diclonius to stare into her core— and though only the outer shell of her psyche, her very being, was visible, all Lucy could think of was the hatred that had been fueled for so long.

—The violence gurgling within her stomach.

Each and every whisper and giggle coming from that horrid, _horrid_ Instinct.

Dead eyes simple remained as dainty fingers began to grab at clothing, slipping it over her shoulders.

Ribbons were slowly tied around ivory horns.

All of it was accompanied by an unsettling silence, before Lucy eventually spoke up to herself— or whoever else would listen in within the solitude of her room.

"If one day… If one day, I were given the opportunity to be reborn… To try life over, with a second chance, I would be a good girl… I wouldn't hurt anybody… _And then, maybe people would like me. I might look a little different, but I didn't want to hurt anybody…_"

Where a parent would come in and wipe away the tears from her eyes, Lucy tended to her own emotional wounds.

— Suddenly, she remembered that she was accompanied by the canine mechanism. Lucy turned, looking down at the artificial being.

"… Thank you for keeping me company."

K-9 looked up at Lucy, his red optics matching her downward gaze. "No thanks are necessary, Mistress." He said. "You are a companion of the Doctor-Master, and he has tasked me to watch over you for your own well-being." K-9's optics blinked. "My sensors indicate that you have high blood pressure, and past readouts indicated you were suffering from a heightened form of anxiety in the Zero Room. Are you functioning within normal perimeters, Mistress?"

Just thinking about high blood pressure reminded the Diclonius of the trivial tests and check-ups that the island scientists would conduct; they were routine, in order to make sure that the 'Queen' was in prime condition for research. It took Lucy just a brief moment to brush that thought off. K-9 was simply informing her of the current state, and that was all.

"It happens," she uttered lightly, exhaling through her nose. "I will be fine. The important matter is awaiting to see the condition of the Doctor. Ironic, how the one labeled with such a name is the one tending to wounds." Eyelashes blinked lightly, her vision eventually returning to normal, her mental state relaxing.

"It may come to a surprise to you, Mistress, but the Doctor-Master has been known for putting himself in harm's way many times beforehand. I possess his memory from his past incarnations, and you have not been the first he has been wounded over in order to protect."

K-9 rolled up to Lucy, as if he were trying to nuzzle her leg, moving his head up and down. The robot had knowledge as to how dogs acted to humans, and his computer thinking deduced that this would _hopefully_ alleviate Lucy's stress.

"Please note that I am here to assist you in any way possible, Mistress. I may only be a computer, but I will do what I can to make sure that you are in higher spirits." He rolled back, looking up at Lucy. "It is what the Doctor-Master would want, after all."

Delicate fingertips lightly tap the top of the metallic surface of K-9's head, a smile eventually creeping onto her facial features; reminded of her old canine companion— one without a name, but still held dear to the beast's heart. In a way, it helped her feel human. To be able to share normal, caring emotion.

K-9 assisted in simulating this sensation once again.

"…Thank you very much. That makes me feel much better," Lucy mused with a nod, allowing that bit of information to digest. So the Doctor was notorious for getting himself banged up for the sake of protecting a companion? One did not find many humanoid beings such as that with a genuine personality. And she had the privilege to be assisted by him.

"—I've a few questions though. He mentioned that he was from… A place called Gallifrey? What exactly is… 'Gallifrey'? Are there others like him?"

K-9 nodded to Lucy's question. "Affirmative. The Doctor is a part of a race of aliens that are known as the Time Lords. He is one of many others that reside on the planet Gallifrey."

His ears swiveled, accessing his data banks in retrieving information on the Doctor's homeworld. "Gallifrey is the home planet of the Time Lords, as well as other Gallifreyans, located in the constellation of Kasterborous. It's galactic coordinates are located at 10-00-11-00-00 by 00-02 from Galactic Zero Center. It is unknown as to how far the planet is located from your homeworld of Earth, Mistress, but Gallifrey is anywhere between 30,000 light years to 250 million light years away from Earth.

"—-Alien. And yet he appears just as human as any single one of the damned race walking this earth. Is this an ability that he harbors in order to blend in and work? Or are Gallifreyans simply humanoid by nature? And how exactly did they manage to figure out time travel— and— all of this…? It's puzzling… Very puzzling."

Lucy reclined to her stomach, laying on the unmade bed, an arm hanging off the side near K-9's head. Relaxing in this manner was something that she herself had not had the chance to do since being brought into this WHIRLWIND of a situation.

"They are simply the latter, Mistress." K-9 said. "Because they have lived for thousands and thousands of years, the Time Lords have existed long before humans have. It is simply a coincidence involving their genetic make up, Mistress."

His ears swiveled, as he was cross-referencing information regarding Gallifreyan time travel. "Time Travel by the Time Lords was created for use of exploration, as well as management of planets and events. However, the Time Lords have always followed the most important law of not becoming involved with important events. Interference is a rule that is punishable in the most extreme cases, Mistress."

He lowered his head down. "Unfortunately, it is what the Doctor-Master is known for, and has landed him in the most troubling situations, even on his home planet of Gallifrey."

—Why would a man with positive intention be punished for doing so? Of course, as a child, the Diclonius learned of certain government structure in which nations chose to not assist in wars and such in order to prevent making the situation even more heated. Could that be compared to the interference of the Doctor when it came to even her OWN scenario?

Lucy bites the tip of her tongue in thought, making an attempt at pursuing her proceeding comment, "If that is the case, then why continue? Does he truly hold a purpose of mending the broken around him? That is considered… _Good_… Why is it frowned upon…?"

It could very well give her a headache; one society scolds her for being inhumane and maiming those nearby, and the Gallifreyans wish not for the Time Lords to mettle with the affairs of others.

The dog's ears swiveled again to Lucy's question. "Insufficient Data, Mistress. The Doctor-Master is a being a free will, and I cannot formulate a response to your question. The Time Lords themselves, however, choose not to interfere because it would damage the current flow of time. It is how their society has always operated"

He looked up at Lucy, who was still lying on the bed, her eyes lidded as they set upon K-9. "Those questions would be best suited for the Doctor-Master, once he awakens, Mistress. I am certain that he would be happy in answering any inquiries that are about his values and ethics."

"…I see," she contends, fingertips lazily drumming against the steel exterior of the robotic companion; on that notion, Lucy would retain further questions of that nature for when the Doctor has experienced a full recovery. Shifting onto her elbows, strands of pink fall over her shoulders, "well, thank you for what you were able to provide."

For a brief moment, Lucy chuckled to herself in response to K-9's behavior; it seemed even his vast database did not harbor each and every answer to the pinkette's plethora of questions. Artificial intelligence has just as many limits as living, breathing individuals, she supposed.

K-9 nodded. "Affirmative." He responded. "I am here to assist, Mistress."

* * *

Back in the Zero Room, hours had passed since the Doctor's initial encounter with Lucy's Instinct. He was still resting as he could feel that his brain was starting to work in proper order. The Zero Room was always good in getting a good meditative spell, injury or no injury. Many thoughts raced through his head as he ran through the encounter with the Instinct.

The Instinct caught a glimpse into his mind. How was that even possible? There were times that a human would be only able to _see_ the Doctor's memories, but not manifest them in an attempt to drive one insane. She hand picked the Daleks, Davros and the Master, trying to drive him into the ground mentally. It was an evil act, bringing up past enemies for one's own agenda to gain the upper hand.

The question was, did Lucy experience those awful apparitions, too? No doubt she must have heard their voices. How could the Instinct do that to Lucy's mind? She had enough trouble as it was with her current situation, she didn't need to harbor the Doctor's own demons as well.

With a small sigh, the Doctor de-levitated himself, feeling his back make contact with the hard floor. Shooting his eyes open, he sat up.

"Lucy." he said to himself. "I hope she's okay..."

Without a second thought, he picked himself up, and walked out of the Zero Room, closing the door behind him.

* * *

It would be awkward to a degree, the immediate encounter post-tragedy. There were literally none who had ever crossed paths with the wicked Diclonius Instinct, and lived to tell the tale. The practically indestructible materials used to construct Lucy's enclosure on Kakuzawa Island even became twisted and obliterated upon contact from fully functional vectors.

Had the Doctor been incapable of regenerating, the dahlia eyed beast would be hovering over yet another bludgeoned victim. Not under her own free will, no! _No_… But it was still debatable, whether or not it was Lucy, or the beastly Instinct, that formed first within the psyche. Who truly held title to the body? How startling it was, that something lurking within the mental chambers had the capability of bringing forth powerful hallucinations of the visual and auditory—- even when itself was not occupying the mind that it had manipulated. A complication of split personas and psychosis posed as a problem as well.

_What sort of gruesome outcome could come about had Lucy not intervened at the last moment?_

Minute groans escape her lips in a sigh, propped up by elbows. All of these thoughts frothed to-and-fro as the Diclonius tried to come up with a reasoning for this. The Doctor had already forgiven her— but it would take quite some time before she forgave herself.

—Herself?! She was not even the one to dictate and perform those horrid actions! But at the same time, she was unable to prevent them— and for this reason, Lucy felt weak. Incapable.

"**Damn it all**."

Picking up pace, the Doctor made a beeline straight for Lucy's room, picking up his scarf ends so as to not trip him in his rush. The Zero Room was already quite a distance away from Lucy's room _and_ the console room. He was surprised that Lucy was able to find her way without a hitch.

Then he remembered. K-9 escorted her. Pity how post-healing thoughts seemed a bit scattered.

After a bit of frantic searching, he came across Lucy's door. Thinking for a bit, he wondered if she was still alright after their last encounter. She seemed a bit frail, mentally, at least. But there was only one way to make sure.

Knocking a few times, he opened the door, poking his head in. Clearing his throat, he flashed a toothy grin at the Diclonius.

"Do you mind if I come in?" He asked.

Similar to the behavior of an animal, her head lifts the moment a voice came and went through her ears; shifting from her stomach, Lucy sits up, her feet pressing onto the ground, hands keeping the Diclonius upright. It would take a brief second, but her mind would register that the voice belonged to the Doctor. And quickly following, she would process the question.

A quick nod— but the proceeding action would baffle ANY of the scientists who had spend several years studying the hateful nature that Diclonius bore towards humans.

Lucy stepped forward, skipping a few steps with a long stride and immediately, without a thought, exchanged a hug with the scarved one, with the attitude belong to that of a needy, exhausted child.

The Doctor laughed as Lucy lunged at him with a hug, her embrace almost squeezing the air out of him. His arms lifted after her attacking embrace, but found themselves embracing the young Diclonius.

"I take it you missed me, Lucy?" He mused, keeping the embrace as she held on tight. "How are you feeling? I hope K-9 provided you with adequate company."

A thick silence followed suit, the humanoid's grip tightening, and then completely falling limp, tears stinging the corners of her eyes once more. She would not allow them to fall, rather, she inhales sharply and shakes it off.

"That entire situation was close," Lucy reminded gently, her expression placid, "one moment longer, and you might not have made it out alive. But…" she exhales, "I'm relieved that you were able to make a full recovery. I believe that I owe you an explanation."

The Doctor put his hands on Lucy's shoulders as her grip loosened. "Come on, Lucy." He said. "Let's sit down."

Going over to the bed, Lucy seated herself on the bed, with the Doctor sitting in front of her on the small sofa. "Please be mindful, Lucy." He said. "I know talking about the Instinct brings about great stress on your mind and emotions. Are you sure you want to do this?"

Seating herself, her hands gently placed themselves into her lap, "… Had I not been able to push through the mental wall, you would be permanently damaged right now. It is my duty to explain all of this to you…"

Lucy glances over, beginning to speak slowly, "The Diclonii are all born with these Instinctual voices— but before I explain that, I must tell you the difference between myself, and the others… I'm what you would consider… The Original. Any other one of my kind walking the earth right now, came after me. Not directly FROM me, but because my vectors infected the bloodstream of humans that they had come into contact with. Any human who touches my vectors, will produce a Diclonius child, called a 'Silpelit'. They are sterile, and cannot produce on their own… But they still have the Instinct. It can first communicate with us as early as three years old… Many Silpelits claim the lives of their parents first."

Reaching over, the Lilium music box is picked up once more, giving Lucy something to look at while talking. Her social skills were still impaired, and so unless she had a subject to stare at, her sentences would become awkward.

"… As for me, I heard her for the first time when I was six. As you may have seen. She's always been there… Dormant."

The Doctor listened closely as she explained further about the Diclonii and the Instinct. They were each born with a voice like that, and no doubt drives them to murder. It certainly explained a lot, especially judging from Lucy's memories alone.

She even mentioned the virus that K-9 detected from her vectors. Anyone who made contact bred a Diclonius child. Someone must have used her vectors to carry that out with a much greater purpose.

"This Instinct. It's obviously your driving force to murder." He said. "I can see that you never wanted to, but it told you otherwise. It made you love it, and it tried to make you heartless. I know that you are not that, despite what it had told me earlier."

The Doctor thought for a moment, before looking into Lucy's eyes again. "Lucy. That Instinct..." He gripped on end of his scarf. "It saw my memories. It manifested clear images of my enemies from the past. It... it tried to use that to break me." He close his eyes. "They were horrible, horrible people, Lucy. Individuals, and even _alien races_ that have committed murder on a planetary scale."

He opened his eyes again. "Did you hear them, Lucy? Did the Instinct make you hear what they were saying to me?"

Seeing the Doctor is such a state was surprising, even to the Diclonius. He was usually carrying a carefree, harmonious disposition, and to witness him so troubled— well, it bothered Lucy. A solemn nod in response to his question.

"The entire time that you were able to probe into my memory, I had the ability to watch, but from a distance… Sort of similar to an out of body experience. I existed on that dreamlike plane that you saw when first coming across the Instinctual Voice. That is how I met her as well… When you began to combat her verbally, and the hallucinations were under her command, she fed off of my own energy in order to do so, hence my inability to intervene right then and there. Only when they vanished could I rear myself to step in and make an attempt at cutting her down."

A sigh.

"… I am terribly sorry, that you had to experience all of that… The prolonged isolation from society that I went through in the facility only strengthened her anger."

The Doctor leaned over and put a hand on her shoulder. "Please, Lucy. Don't think it was your fault. It was partially mine for getting involved in that incident. I should have pulled out of your mind the moment things took a turn for a worse." He chuckled a bit. "My curiosity always seems to land me into trouble."

"Curiosity did maim the cat," Lucy commented lightly to herself, not realized how humorous it would end up coming out, a sheepish smile flashing for a moment when she was comforted by his hand on her shoulder. It was almost as the beast had turned human for a moment.

He leaned back on the sofa, looking downward. "Perhaps I should give an explanation, as well. You deserve to know who those people were that the Instinct brought up."

"—Yes, that was my next question… Davros, Daleks, the Master, Gallifrey— all of this is so confusing to me, and K-9 could only provide so much in terms of information. I have a lot that I want to know, so that I am not wandering around ignorant to the situations at hand."

The Doctor nodded. "K-9 must have told you about Gallifrey, then." He said. "True, he holds a wealth of information, but I think it would be best if it was I who told you everything." He messed about with the curls of his hair, pushing his bangs back. "Where to begin?" He asked himself, sighing.

Looking downward, his eyes trailed back up to Lucy. "I'll start with the Daleks and Davros." He said, leaning forward and weaving his fingers together.

"That awful cylindrical organism that you saw is called a Dalek. They originated from the planet Skaro, and have been the worst threat that I have ever come across. They are a xenophobic race, and very dangerous. They've exterminated many planets, and conquered many galaxies. Whatever is not a Dalek, they hate. If it is not a Dalek, it will die."

He closed his eyes. "The man in the wheelchair that you saw was Davros. Davros was the creator of the Daleks, and I had the "pleasure" of meeting him. I was placed on Skaro by the Time Lords and tasked with bringing an end to the Daleks before they were even created, and witnessed Davros's devilish creation first hand." He sighed. "The first thing they did was wipe out the native Kaled race on Skaro, to make way for their own "superior" race."

He opened his eyes, recounting his adventure on Skaro years ago. He would never forget that moment, and it still haunted him. "There was an opportunity for me to completely erase the Daleks from history. To wipe them out for good. But..." He put his hands on his face, covering his eyes.

"I couldn't do it." He said softly. "I couldn't kill them."

He then told Lucy about the moment that changed everything. The moment that could have very well spelled victory.

* * *

"_Well!?" _Sarah Jane shouted_. "What are you waiting for?_

The Doctor stared at the two wires that he held. The wires that could change history forever. _"Just touch these two wires..."_ He said._ "And the Daleks are finished." _His breathing was ragged. _"Have I that right...?"_

"_To destroy the Daleks?" _Sarah Jane asked. _"You can't doubt it!"_

"_But I do!" _The Doctor protested. _"You see, some things could be better with the Daleks. Many future worlds will become allies just because of their fear of the Daleks!"_

Sarah Jane tried to coax him into it. _"B-But it isn't like that-"_

"_But the final responsibility is mine. And mine alone."_ He stared at the two wires, struggling to carry out with the task the Time Lords sent him for in the first place. _"Listen."_ He said. _"If someone who knew the future pointed out a child to you, and told you that that child would grow up totally evil, to be a ruthless dictator who would destroy millions of lives..." _He turned to Sarah. _"Could you then kill that child? _

Sarah Jane only shook her head frantically. _"We're talking about the Daleks, the most evil creatures ever invented. You must destroy them."_ She pressed. _"You must complete your mission for the Time Lords."_

"_Do I have the right?"_ He asked, showing the wires to Sarah. _"Simply touch one wire against the other and that's it. The Daleks cease to exist. Hundreds of millions of people, thousands of generations can live without fear, in peace, and never even know the word Dalek."_

"_Then why wait?"_ Sarah asked. _"If it was a disease or some sort of bacteria you were destroying, you wouldn't hesitate."_

"_But if I kill, wipe out a whole intelligent life form, then I become like them."_ His eyes widened, as he continued to stare at the wires. _"...I'd be no better than the Daleks!"_

"_Think of all the suffering there'll be if you don't do it."_ Sarah said.

* * *

The Doctor stared downward, after he finished his recount. "I never touched the two wires together. I had the perfect opportunity to wipe out the Daleks. But it was as I told Sarah. If I kill, I become no better than the monsters I've fought. And in not carrying out that task, I let the Daleks live, and they still continue to conquer many galaxies."

He closed his eyes. "I failed, Lucy." He said. "Most would consider me weak for not killing a monstrous creature, but if I did so, I would become that monster." The Time Lord sighed. "I still wondered if I had the right to do so..."

"…"

Listening to such a sorrowful tale being told, the Diclonius could not help but sympathize with her companion; he had a wide heart, and it was worn on his sleeve. And it was larger than that of most members of modern society. Anybody else she knew would blindly go and kill off that rising power, in the hopes of saving the lives of millions.

Was each life worth the same? Is a criminal valued just as a small child would be? Is this…

_Is this the reason why she, the Queen of Diclonii, was looked upon with acceptance by a complete stranger?_

That was the motive behind the Doctor reacting so strongly towards the claimed lives of those young children that Lucy had so ruthlessly taken. Instead of condemning her as a smudge upon society, she was embraced with open honesty, with the hopes of changing her for the better, knowing that deep inside, she held some sort of humanity within the chilled crypt of her heart.

She simulated the situation with her own, mentally. What if, in the past, the same exact conversation was held with Lucy's mother? What if he had been charged with killing the original Diclonius, in order to prevent all of the bloodshed and she and the Silpelits would cause in the future? Would he had shown the same mercy?

"… Just as you had said… When I had killed those young boys… You said that they could have grown into wonderful people… Perhaps, in the near future, those Daleks could somehow be brought to harmony with those around them; they could unite nations not just for the purpose of destroying them, but for the sake of something… _Better_… I understand what you mean now… Just because something is born with the purpose of bringing misfortune, does not mean that they are destined to keep such a path… Had you destroyed them, you may have altered the entire future as we know it… That is why you were unable to vanquish me as well… Upon crossing my path, you could have easily brought my life to an end… But you did not."

Lucy sighed thoughtfully, "I do not believe that you failed, Doctor… You did what was meant to happen… Instead of blindly eliminating something…_ Rather, you had hope… Maybe you did not realize that in the heat of the moment, but deep down, you believe that any living being can change for the better… Doing the right thing often does not reap benefitsimmediately… Hence why you felt that you had failed… But there will be a result due to your choice in the future._"

The beast stared into nothing, as she began to think of her own brash actions— she killed Kanae and Kouta's father, because she only felt rage towards them. What would have been the result, had she spared those two lives?

The Doctor looked up as his melancholy look faded. His smile was faint, but it was there. It seemed that Lucy was starting to realize how precious life was, even when he spared the Daleks on Skaro. He then recalled to what he said to Sarah the moment they left Skaro and arrived on Space Station Nerva again.

* * *

"_Failed? No, not really, Sarah. You see, I know that although the Daleks will create havoc and destruction for millions of years, I know also that out of their evil must come something good."_

* * *

He had forgotten that he had said that, although he still carried the guilt of letting the Daleks live. But to think... Lucy, a girl who had previously only spilled bloodshed out of spite and rage, understood the Doctor's dilemma and brought forth rationality towards the actions he made those years ago.

She understood. That was the main thing. And it warmed both of his hearts that she could get it. She really wasn't heartless.

"That means a lot, Lucy. More than you know." The Doctor finally said, digesting the words of the Diclonius. "Oftentimes, I still wondered if it was the right thing to do. But you just reassured me." He bowed his head for a moment in respect, as a way of representing the Japanese culture where Lucy held from. "Thank you, Lucy."

Taking notice of the traditional gesture that he had performed earned a light chuckle from the throat of the beast. When was the last time that she had an honest laugh? One that was not twisted and driven by madness during a kill? Quite some time. As if she were gradually growing from a chrysalis, Lucy was beginning to notice changes within herself. And if it continued as so, perhaps… Perhaps the beast would be quelled.

"You have a bit to go before you are recognized at tea ceremonies, but the gesture is appreciated," Lucy mentioned with a casual smile. She had seen many a traveler make an attempt at Japanese custom, and each incident earned the Diclonius some sort of amusement.

—But most importantly, Lucy was relieved that, for the first time in her entire existence, she had left a dire situation without a permanent scar. She had been able to help fix the scenario, and not simply walk away with another casualty.

The Doctor could only smile as the both of them shared a small laugh with each other. After a bit of reflective silence, the Doctor leaned back and looked at her. "I suppose I should also tell you about the Master."

He exhausted a sigh. "Where to start with him?" He asked himself rhetorically. "The Master is a renegade Time Lord, much like myself. Unfortunately, he is the quintessence of evil, and has threatened Earth quite a few times during my third incarnation."

The Doctor looked to the side as he recounted the Master. "He and I have had a history together too. You could even say we were close friends at one point in time. However, something happened to turn him into this evil menace I know not what. But I've stopped him more times than I care to mention."

The Time Lord looked at Lucy. "Back in the early 1970s, when I was exiled on Earth, it seemed that the Master found me. Ever since then, he had attempted to wreak havoc on Earth and cause as much anarchy as possible. He was the instigator of at least two invasions back on Earth. The invasion of the Autons, and the Sea Devils, both at least a few years apart from each other."

He then thought of one of his returns to Gallifrey. "Not long after I had dropped off Sarah Jane when I received the call from the Time Lords, the Master struck again on Gallifrey. This time, assassinating the ruler of my planet, the Lord President, and framing me for it in the process."

He brushed his bangs back as he recalled that particular incident with the Deadly Assassin, former Time Lord Chancellor Goth. The Doctor recounted the events to Lucy from that particular time on Gallifrey. The physically taxing fights between Goth and the Doctor, the Doctor almost drowning in the swamp as they fought within the Matrix, and taking out the Master himself after so much destruction was caused at the Capitol, many lives being claimed in the process.

"The Master is very dangerous, Lucy." The Doctor said. "The fact that your Instinct brought him about in order to break me was a rather frightening scenario." He looked her in the eyes as he put a hand on her shoulder.

"He is the very definition of a monster. Lacking any sympathy for other people and other races, even his own. Believe me when I say that you are not a monster, Lucy. Especially since I've seen monsters long before meeting you."

Admittedly, it took a lot for the Diclonius to experience an inkling of unnerve or worry, but something about this 'Master' figure… Something did not settle correctly in her stomach. Lucy had crossed many humans that she deemed 'evil'. She has watched them slay one another, witnessed the sins that humanity had committed in the name of their own selfish needs— but as a collective, they always had looked upon the Diclonii as entities of absolute dread.

—The way that this man was spoken of, concerning his deception and thirst for chaos, the desire to wreck destruction and bring about a new order of existence— it left Lucy unsettled, because what she saw, was a paradox of her own actions. What made HER any different? She was a paragon, a symbol of relinquishing the power from humans, and handing it over to her own kind. Leaving behind Kouta and any sort of hope for being accepted, she had decided to create her OWN world.

What made her any less horrible than the Master?

However, hearing that this monarch of evil had some sort of personal vendetta on the Doctor only lead her to believe that he was a greedy, selfish individual bent on holding the universe in his own two hands. Brushing aside the comparisons, Lucy found herself intimidated by the thought of crossing paths with this man. Indeed, the Master sounded incredibly dangerous. Had _HE_ found the Diclonius before the Doctor did…

Lucy would rather not imagine that.

"You have absolutely no idea as to what changed him so radically? It must have been something drastic— especially since you are painting him to be your arch-enemy… A REAL monster, as you put it… Do you believe he would ever change? Or is he a lost cause? There are plenty of people who may fall into that second category… Anybody who would frame an innocent person as a murderer is extremely low… Even I can see that."

The Doctor could only lie back on the sofa and shake his head. "I doubt he would ever change, Lucy." He said. "Unlike you, where you still have human qualities, the Master is a Time Lord. Time Lords, when realizing how much power that they have over lesser races, may tend to think themselves as something greater." He shrugged a bit. "Granted, I think of myself as quite marvelous, and have greater intelligence than you do, but I intend on using that for something good. Something constructive."

He gestured to Lucy. "You may have committed atrocities and murder, Lucy. I won't deny that. But you are starting to learn that life can be treasured, and that it truly can be precious. I can see that in your eyes. You were merely a lost child, who thought that she would find solace in a pool of blood. When that is not the case. You may not realize it, but you are changing."

He gazed downward. "Unfortunately, the Master is not like you. He can't see the good in all life as I can. He is a power-hungry megalomaniac, with no regard for anyone or anything, except for his own personal gain."

The Doctor then gazed back at Lucy. "And if the Master ever strikes again, I _will_ stop him. You can count on that."

"He must be elusive, because I am sure that if he were easy to track down, you would have already dealt with the man, and gotten rid of him," Lucy suggested. At least, that is what she could deduce from what he was saying. Taking from the Doctor's usual actions, she doubted that he would allow such a dangerous individual wander the universe unattended if he had ANY sort of control over it.

"I have complete faith in those words, but will you be able to achieve that on your own…? You hold immense power, and have practically an entire universe at your disposal, would it not be wise to have others assist you in that goal…? Two Time Lords could practically cancel each other out if that was the case…_Unless you have some sort of upper hand that you have not mentioned?_"

The Doctor leaned forward as he thought about Lucy's question. How _would _he stop the Master? As Lucy said, he was very elusive, and unlike the Doctor, has a working chameleon circuit in his TARDIS. But his body was in a state of decay since the last time they met, and no doubt was still recuperating after that fall from their previous encounter on Gallifrey.

"An upper hand..." He said to himself, echoing Lucy's words. He only shook his head. "I was lucky to escape with my life on Gallifrey, Lucy. Against a human or other alien threat, I could deduce things rather quickly. The Master, however, is a whole other matter. He's unlike anything you would ever face. Not even the Daleks or Cybermen are as clever as him."

He sighed. "I don't know Lucy. When it comes to the Master, he is just about my equal. So I'm not sure how to answer that question." He shook his head. "I really don't know."

"Perhaps over thinking all of this is only making matters worse… It has been a long few days since we first met, and there's already been enough turmoil and controversy to last a decade," Lucy mentioned, brushing her thumbs against the edges of the music box in hand, eventually closing it shut.

She stood, stretching her arms lightly, "I am feeling a little claustrophobic, why don't we do something to get our minds off of all of this…? Surly it is welcome after all of this doom and gloom."

It was not often that Lucy even offered to participate in trivial, light-hearted things. But it was the least she could do, seeing that she almost got her companion killed. BOTH of them deserved some sort of down time.

The Doctor nodded absentmindedly, as Lucy mentioned the idea of doing something that didn't involve the talk of bloodshed, Instincts, and megalomaniacs. As a few seconds have passed, his eyebrows perked as he thought of something.

Looking up at the Diclonius, his lips formed a wide toothy grin. "Tell me, Lucy." He said. "Have you ever learned how to ride a bike?"

A memory crosses Lucy's mind.

* * *

_"Why not? Can't you take Nyu with you to the grocery store, Yuka?" __Kouta questioned, looking up from his chore of cleaning the floors of the inn._

_"If I do, she'll have to ride on a second bicycle, I can't fit two people AND bags of groceries on one!"_

_"—Does Nyu even know how to ride one…?"_

_The next few hours, Kouta would attempt at teaching the childish one how to peddle and stay balanced on the wheeled contraption, but it did not yield any sort of results, aside from some banged up knees and a cut on Nyu's arm when she fell and crashed into the side of a tree. It was safe to assume that the wide-eyed crybaby would not want to make an attempt at riding a bike again._

* * *

—As for Lucy, she had tried a few times in her childhood, but never mastered the practice. Blinking, the Diclonius spoke up.

"Actually, I never have."

The Doctor's grin grew wider as he shot up from the sofa, as if there were no sadness within him prior. Taking the Diclonius's small hand into his, he tugged heralongside with him.

"Come on!" He said. "I know of something perfect that we can do!" With that, he rushed outside of Lucy's bedroom, the horned girl in tow as they both made for the console room.

K-9, who had been in the room for who knows how long, followed them as they rushed down the corridor.

—-! Whisked away, Lucy kept on her feet as she was pulled from her bedroom, assuming that they would probably be taken somewhere so that she could practice biking— however that would go. Admittedly, keeping balance was something that the Diclonius struggled with, especially in situations such as this. Hence, the reason why her vectors were so useful.

"I-I'm coming I'm coming!"

As they ran down the hall, the Doctor rammed himself into the door to the console room, swinging it open as he made a slight "Oof!" after hitting the door. Letting go of Lucy's hand, he immediately went to work on the console to input a destination on Earth.

"First... we need a good countryside. We can't go to Satoyama after last night, so we need something different. Let's see..." He then pulled up a map of the world on one of the monitors, and contemplated a destination. "Japan certainly has a few great countrysides, but..." He flashed a toothy grin. "I think you would love the Yorkshire countryside, Lucy. Lots of open spaces, and beautiful scenery to go with it."

The Doctor then input the coordinates to Yorkshire, England before flipping the lever, setting their destination. "Now, don't go anywhere and try not to touch anything, Lucy." He said, with his arms in front of him as he made for the hallway door. "I'll be right back. Stay there!"

With that, he ran off into the hallway, the scarf ends getting stuck in the door as it closed behind him. The tasseled ends then slipped into the other side of the door, with a muffled cough from the Doctor.

Standing in the room, with a nod, she obeyed the Doctor's orders to not touch anything— as if she would. Technology was never the Diclonius's strong suit, especially that of an alien individual. Knowing very well, she could accidentally launch herself years into the future, or past, by accident. Instead, she would keep busy by looking and studying at the map of the world.

—They never had one of these in the orphanage! Just a simple map out of Japan, and it's neighboring countries— which, she pointed out to herself with ease.

The world… It was so big! Japan, it was tiny to some of the other countries that she looked upon— and if the Earth was this large, what about the solar system? And the Milky Way— dare she imagine, the universe!

And the Doctor had traveled practically EVERYWHERE!

Lucy chewed on her own lip in thought, eyes gliding across the detailed map— maybe, she would have better luck, outside of her Japanese home. Maybe the rest of the world had better humans.

* * *

Walking down the hallway, the Doctor had produced two bicycles from one of the rooms in the TARDIS. Both of the bikes were cruisers, with one of them having a black paint-job, the other having a slight pink hue to it. The Doctor smiled to himself as he thought of his previous adventures with Sarah Jane, and the few bike rides that they got to go on during the few quiet times they traveled when they weren't fighting threats to the galaxy. They had a few nice cruises, and Sarah Jane even held on to the Doctor's scarf as they trekked on their bikes.

Pushing the door open with his foot, the Doctor wheeled the two bikes into the console room. "Well, looks like you'll learn how to ride a bike after all, Lucy." He said with a toothy grin.

She could not help but stifle a chuckle, giving a crooked, but amused smile. _Oh, this would be rather interesting_. Lucy herself had never been to Yorkshire, but, knowing the Doctor's taste, it was probably quite the sight to see. Not only that, getting away from Japan would be excellent. The stigma of the land would be nonexistent, and the Diclonius would be able to relax.

"It almost matches my hair," she voices quietly, amused by the shade of pink.

The Doctor looked at the bike and then at Lucy's hair. "You think so?" He asked. "I honestly have had this bike for quite a while." He then flipped the kickstands down on both of the bikes, as he heard a ding come from the Time Rotor as it stopped. The Doctor checked the scanner.

"Looks like we've landed in Yorkshire, Lucy." He said. "About 12:45 in the afternoon, it seems. We'll have plenty of time to cruise around." He then went over to the stand and grabbed his red frock coat and hat, adjusting his scarf over the coat. Setting the hat on his head, he went over to Lucy, inspecting the ribbons tied around her horns. "Looks like you should be fine, Lucy." He said. "There aren't a lot of people in the countryside of Yorkshire, so I doubt anyone would notice your horns unless they were up close and personal.

Smiling with relief, and in triumph, both hands reached up, removing the little blue ribbons off of her horns, allowing them to drift onto the ground forgotten. When was the last time Lucy had the privilege to walk around without covering up her head? More than likely, back when she was still among the other orphans, where the horns were simply thought to be the result of some sort of birth defect.

Flipping the door lever, the Doctor exposed the TARDIS's blue exterior doors. He turned to Lucy, his grin still persistent. "Shall we, Lucy?"

"Yes, we shall," Lucy hummed in a laid back tone.

The two filed out of the TARDIS, a gust of wind catching whisps of pink hair— the Doctor had been correct! Yorkshire was gorgeous; wide, sweeping, endless fields of ever-grand green. The clouds, themselves, were to the deep blue sky, as earrings would be to a woman: a lovely accessory to an already pleasing sight.

The Doctor rolled the two bikes out of the TARDIS, bringing them to a stop before closing both doors and locking. He turned away from the Police Box and brought in a deep breath.

It was a sight to behold. Yorkshire had perfect weather, and there were barely any bystanders. They were in one of the more rural, deserted areas, it seemed. The TARDIS just on the side of a narrow dirt road, most likely used for walking paths or even bikes. So it was prime for a place for Lucy to get some fresh air for her horns.

"You see, Lucy?" He asked, putting an arm around the Diclonius. "What did I tell you? Is this not the most beautiful scene that you've ever laid eyes on?" The Doctor smiled as he looked at Lucy. "Truly, you must be understanding why I like this planet so much."

Riding a bike was a talent that Lucy herself did not have on top of her accomplishments list, but, being able to participate in a fun-and-fancy-free activity made it easier for the Diclonius breath— to realize that not every single event would end in a dire, horrible result.

Looking at the murderer, you would never make the assumption that she had laid a single hand on other for the sake of harm. Her eyes fluttered shut, just to take in the noises that the natural environment around Lucy could hear. In fact, getting a look at the emotion on her face would be enough to mirror that of her childish past.

"Yeah…"

* * *

_"WOW! IT'S SO COOL! I'VE NEVER SEEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS BEFORE!"_

* * *

"... I've never seen a view so lovely._"_

The Doctor closed his eyes as well as he took in the beautiful sight of Yorkshire. He and Lucy just stood there in meditative silence as the both of them enjoyed the peace and quiet after the turmoil that they both experienced over a twenty four hour period.

Taking a deep breath, he walked away from Lucy, and stood next to the pink bike. "Well, what say we ride, eh?"

Nodding, Lucy alloted a brief 'hmmmmmm', taking a good look at the contraption known as a 'bicycle'. The best way to execute this would to sit on the bike seat, and keep herself balanced without that kick stand up— thought, she was almost certain that it would not work out that way, leaving herself on the ground if sitting in an incorrect fashion.

And so, nearly the very moment that the Diclonius mounted the pink bicycle, she sat there for a brief second, wobbling to and fro— prepared to fall, her eyes widened, biting her bottom lip— and then, nothing! To the naked eye, it would appear that Lucy was indeed balancing. Feet touching the pedals, gradually pushing them and sending herself at least three meters forward. It looked like she had the basic concept!

—-Upon further inspection, however, minute, barely visible hand prints could be seen in the dirt on either side of the bicycle, resulting from two vectors pressing into the ground.

A little cheater, she was.

The Doctor smiled as Lucy mounted the bike, as she was trying to balance herself on the vehicle. He noticed that she gingerly kicked the kickstand up, and took off at a ginger pace.

"That's it, Lucy!" The Doctor cheered. "You're doing very well for your first time!"

He followed the Diclonius as she peddled a little slower before coming to a stop. "That was wonderful, Lucy. I had no idea that you would be a natural. You know, I-" He then stopped as he looked down at his feet. A few inches from his feet were very distinct handprints. He saw a few more right next to Lucy as she stood on the bike.

Crouching down, he looked at Lucy, eyes widened. "Lucy..." He said, pointing to the hand print. "Don't lie. I know that this was you."

—-Busted!

A sheepish expression was exchanged from Lucy, a little too unsure on how to reply to that. Just as a young child would respond to being caught by a parental figure.

"… At least I didn't fall?"

With a pink face, the vector was used once more to help her get off of the bike, walking back over to the Doctor with the wheeled contraption.

"Alright— Let's try again… But this time, I will not cheat."

The Doctor stood in front of Lucy as she mounted her bike again. "Don't worry, Lucy." He said. "No one gets it right the first time."

He then went by her side, and held the handlebars with her. "You see, riding is one thing, but maintaining balance is another. You can't fight the bike. You have to work with it, and maintain a unity with its balance. The moment you learn that, then you'll just have to master speed."

"Balance isn't exactly my strong suit," she'd admit, keeping an eye on the Doctor's hands; Lucy's feet were planted firmly against the pedals, knees just shaky enough to give her the appearance of a nervous first timer.

The Time Lord smiled. "Come on. I'll help you maintain balance. Then I'll let you take off."

"So you're—- Just going to push me and hope for the best?" Lucy questioned with almost surprised eyes— oh WHY was she so nervous about such a tiny little bicycle ride?

"Don't worry, Lucy." The Doctor reassured her. "Just trust me. As soon as I let you go, start peddling."

As soon as Lucy mounted the bike seat, the Doctor began to slowly push her, and slowly gained speed. After a short run, he let go of Lucy's handlebars.

"Okay, Lucy! Peddle!"

Gulping, the Diclonius held onto the handle bars with an intense grip, swaying to the side in the lightest, then quickly straightening out. Looking up ahead, she would peddle— and peddle—- and peddle. And before she realized it, Lucy had managed to get ahead quite well!

"I-I did it! Ah! Ahah!"

Turning her head, Lucy went to call out and mention her success— but looking back would result in crashing into a tree.

A short lived success.

The Doctor's eyes widened as he witnessed Lucy crashing and burning at the tree. He then ran full speed, his scarf ends flowing in the wind, and reached the crash site.

Lucy was on the ground, feeling her rump as she grunted in pain. "Are you okay, Lucy?" He asked, crouching to her level. "That seemed rather painful." He couldn't help but chuckle, but failed to hold back a good laugh. "However..." He said, still chuckling. "I probably should have mentioned that it would be best to keep your eyes forward."

"For a moment there, I forgot that I had every damned ability to stop myself," Lucy muttered, rubbing the back of her neck— yes, the fact that her vectors could have easily prevented the crash had not crossed her mind at all, mostly due to wanting to NOT make this just another easy task.

"One more go, and this time." she starts, standing up and brushing the dirt off of her knees, "I don't plan on colliding with a piece of foliage."

Picking the bike up again, Lucy wobbled to get onto it the way a newborn calf struggles to walk.

"You'll get it, Lucy. It's quite easy. Just maintain your balance."

The Doctor helped Lucy mount her bike again, as she wobbled trying get her foot on one of the peddles. "Alright. Here we go!"

He then began to push Lucy with the handlebars as she started to peddle. After enough speed, he let go of the handlebars again. "Now start peddling Lucy! And keep your eyes forward!"

This trial would be different, and she made sure of it! Staring forward and pushing her elbows out to keep her core balanced, both feet began to move the pedals. Faster, faster, and faster— once let go, Lucy did not even notice that she had been pedaling by herself for some time!

With a wide grin, Lucy bolted forward, riding for a few meters before letting a vector snap out and stop her— she hadn't gotten used to the speed yet, nor the concept of stopping with a foot. But she did it! And without any medium of cheating.

The Doctor's smile became the widest he'd ever known as Lucy took to riding her bike by herself. Turning to his own bike, he mounted and took off pedaling after Lucy. After closing some distance between the two, he noticed that she had stopped herself, her feet still on the pedals.

That silly girl. She was using her vectors to balance again, wasn't she?

The Doctor only shook his head. "Aside from your impressive balancing act right now, you did fantastic! How do you feel about riding your first bike, Lucy?"

"If I put one of my feet down, I'd obviously fall," she touts in a defensive manner. Not one of annoyance— more so stating the only answer that she had to offer. After all, that was not the important part. What HAPPENED to be was that Lucy had managed to utilize an object that she viewed to be nearly impossible in her childhood!

* * *

_"H-Hey! Wait up!" __The little one watched several of her classmates walking to the opposite end of the playground, beginning to mount their bicycles. Kaede was one of the few children who had no talent when it came to cycling, and so it left her out of some of the most fun summertime activities._

_"Kaede, if you can't ride your bike, then you have to go inside and wait until everybody else is done." __An adult stated, patting the girl on the back of her head to signal her to turn around and leave._

* * *

"—-It was great," Lucy grins.

The Doctor returned the Diclonius's grin. "Good! Now that you've had a bit of experience, what say we take a ride around the country?"

He then stretched his hand out, presenting the scenery to Lucy. "There has been so much for you to discover, and you've only known the dark depths of the prison that you called your past. There are many great things out there, Lucy. Many worlds, and many experiences beyond your imagination. While you may have been in a dark place for so long, you've yet to realize that just around the corner..." He looked at Lucy, his teeth showing prominently. "...Your cure for hatred could very well be waiting for you."

He then pointed to Lucy's smile. "And I can see that you may have found it."

Scanning over the environment, Lucy took another look at the complex backdrop that they had been surrounded by— in a way, it reminded her of a much larger, open variant of her own home of Kamakura. The rolling hills, lush emerald trees— the tall grass and babbling sounds of rivers and creeks. Without the presence of humanity, Lucy had to admit that the world held a chaste sort of beauty— a similar appearance of a well dressed woman: elegant and fluid.

The words spoken by the Doctor were very true. An appreciation for the world was gradually growing within the gut of the Diclonius— gradually, but it was there.

The Doctor could see that Lucy was taking in the scenery once again. Where before, she looked upon the world with nothing but disgust and hatred.

Yet now, she had a new sense of wonder. Something one would not expect out of a mass murderer.

There was more for them to see. Lucy's journey has just begun.

The Doctor then rode ahead of the Diclonius. "Come on, Lucy!" He called out. "There's plenty more for us to discover, and the day is still young!"

With a surprised lurch, Lucy's vectors pulled back in order for the bicycle to move forward— no, they would not be utilized to propel herself, their purpose would only be for the sake of a kick stand.

But never mind that.

Jolting ahead, the Diclonius had called something out along the lines of 'Okay!', though the words would be lost among the rustling of foliage and natural echos of wildlife within the brush. She didn't feel up to turning this into a race, and so Lucy instead kept back by a few feet, following the Doctor as a duckling would it's siblings.

The Doctor slowed a bit so that Lucy could catch up to him. He didn't intend on leaving her in the dust. This was a leisurely ride, after all.

After a bit of time riding on the countryside rode, the Doctor stretched his arms out as he rode side by side with Lucy. "Now, this is the life, isn't it?" He said. "Wind in your hair, and the cool breeze hitting your brow. You certainly never got something like this, did you, Lucy?"

The Doctor then thought back to something fun he would do with Sarah on one or two rides. Using one hand to hold the handlebars, he uncoiled the scarf from his neck, and adjusted it so that one of the ends to didn't spill over and tangle into the front wheel. He then took the opposite end of the scarf and tossed it over Lucy's shoulders, the opposite tasseled end landing perfectly.

The Doctor flashed a toothy grin at his little game. "I use to do this with Sarah." He said, turning his head to keep his eyes forward. "I would always chain us together with my scarf during our rides. How does my scarf feel, Lucy?"

Once the two had managed to catch up and cycle next to each other, a quaint smile and nod followed suit from Lucy, "There were days that I would walk alone by myself along the hiking paths in Kamakura's mountains, especially when I did not feel up to staying inside when living at the orphanage. And I remember now, whenever I was surrounded by that natural environment, there was a sort of… Peace within me. Clouded and mucked with anger, I forgot about those times. But I'm happy to recall them now."

A few moments of quiet passed, before the sudden drop of fabric on her shoulders— hmh? What was the Doctor doing? Well, it was apparent now that he was sharing the object with her— the wind did chill her neck a bit, and the fabric felt warm and plush against her skin.

"That's very kind of you. It feels comfortable." the Diclonius commented calmly in thanks.

The Doctor's smile was persistent as Lucy's icy lairs began to melt, the human side of her starting to show. The poor girl probably had not smiled in some time, except when decimating a victim. It warmed the Doctor's hearts to see a genuine smile on her lips.

What took him by surprise, however, was that the rest of his scarf was lifted from the back of his neck. He could see that the end was now floating in the air, and the length was being rearranged around Lucy's shoulders. The next thing he saw, was that Lucy had coiled the scarf around her own neck, the ends being tossed over by what seemed to be her vectors over her shoulder. She was short, so she probably didn't want to trip.

The Doctor couldn't help but laugh at Lucy taking his scarf. But just as he chuckled, he felt his hat being taken off of his head, and floated inbetween himself and the Diclonius. Lucy then lightly smiled and used her vector to set the hat on top of her head. The hat, however, seemed like it was a size too big for her and sat lopsided on her pink head.

The Doctor flashed a toothy grin to Lucy. "Wonderful sense of style, Lucy." He quipped. "You look just like me!"

Being notably shorter than the Doctor meant that she would have to coil the lengthy scarf around her shoulders, making sure that the trailing fabric would not hit the ground and soil it's color. And in order to do that, her vectors would be required to accomplish that action. Adjusting and sitting up, Lucy snickered to herself, amused by the gargantuan size of the scarf compared to her own tiny frame. It reminded her of playing dress up in her childhood— trying on the clothing of the previous inhabitants of the houses that she would infiltrate.

Glancing up, Lucy decided to complete the look by snatching up the Doctor's hat, balancing it over top of her horns. It was a comical sight indeed!

"Do you think that I could pull off the look in public?" The Diclonius chuckled in a fancy-free manner, leaning back— nearly every move that she made resulted in the clothing to shift, and so she made sure not to do so too much.

The vector reached up, removing the hat and placing it back on her companion's head.

The Doctor felt the hat return back to his head as Lucy laughed. "I think you may need some proper fitting, but I think you could pull off my style." He said.

Some time had passed as both of them shared a laugh. Looking ahead, he spoke to Lucy. "You know, I was hoping that your vectors would be used for something good, Lucy." He said. "You're starting to show that they can after that little display." He then looked at Lucy. "I think you really can put them to work as an extension of yourself, rather than those of weapons. They really _can_ be used for something positive."

Was the Doctor subtly mentioning that Lucy should utilize her vectors for the sake of bettering society? Mixed emotions followed suit— now why in the world would any human wish to benefit from the Diclonius? Damn near all of them refused to even address her, let alone treat the horned one as an equal. Why assist them, if they never assisted her?

—Then again, the lesson that the scarved Time Lord was trying to convey, was that in order to truly understand life, one must make sacrifices, and try to look at the better side of people.

"Would they..." Lucy paused, looking over and speaking lightly, "...e_ven__ want_ my help?"

The Doctor looked ahead as he matched Lucy's speed on his bike. "Not unless you outright say, 'Excuse me, my friend. Would you care if I murdered you in a bloody heap?' You must understand, Lucy, not all of humanity will outright look at you with disgust, simply because of your looks. Granted, the greater majority will outcast you because they fear what they don't understand."

He looked at her and raised an index finger, keeping his balance with one hand on the handlebars. "But if you show that you are willing to assist someone, then that same assistance will be reciprocated toward you."

The Doctor shook his head. "Not all humans are as bad as the ones you've experienced, Lucy. Sometimes, a helping hand is all that's required to let them know that you are a friend."

She had her doubts— of course she would, as anybody may when put into her shoes. Lucy sighs, shrugging her shoulders and looking around; was this an honest case of the nerves? Of some sort of shyness overcoming her? The idea of assisting the human out of pure wish to help was not her forte.

"Still though, how am I supposed to just approach a stranger, and offer a helping hand? Isn't that looked at as— well, odd? At least, that is how it is where I am from. The Japanese people take pride in their personal, every day work. Is that different in other countries?"

Lucy honestly had no idea. Seeing that she had never left the Japanese mainland, the Diclonius was not aware of the different customs around the globe.

The Doctor sighed. "Yes. It is different in other countries. True, as you say. The Japanese take pride in their work. A little too much pride, I think, since they don't really take kindly to others handling their problems for them. Sometimes, they don't understand that everyone needs help from time to time."

He slalomed a bit on his bike, making zig-zags on his bike. "Why do you think I've always saved different planets on certain occasions, Lucy? Sometimes, while someone may not think he or she may need assistance, they in fact, do need help. And trust me." He flashed a toothy grin to the Diclonius. "It's _never_ odd to ask if they need help. Not in the slightest. In fact, it sends off a good impression of you."

"Then where do I even begin?" My, so many questions coming from the mouth of somebody who supposedly understood everything that the world had to offer— in a way, it frustrated Lucy. For so long, she had herself convinced that she, the ever so hateful horned one, knew each and every concept of the human-ruled society. It was similar to the way a pre-teen would get annoyed when told they were 'wrong'.

However, she took it with a grain of salt, sighing.

Lucy knew that her scarved companion knew what he was doing.

"Do I just approach the next person on the side of the road that I see, and ask if they need help carrying their bags? Or just saunter about and wait for somebody to fall over, and make sure they get to their feet?"

"Hold on, Lucy." The Doctor said, holding a hand up. "I didn't mean it _quite_ like that. When helping somebody, it usually comes as very spontaneous as to what their problem is. You never quite expect it, but when it comes, it's usually up to you do decide what would be best for the person when being a good Samaritan." He then pointed a finger at Lucy. "It's not a matter of waiting, but rather-"

As the Doctor explained, they both heard a voice on the side of the path.

"Excuse me? Hello?" It was the voice of a young man, right next to a car. "Can you two help me?"

The Doctor flashed a toothy grin, as he pointed to the source of the sound as he finished his sentence. "-but rather a matter of opportunity. Come on!"

As they both braked to a stop next to the man, the Doctor tipped his hat. "How do you do, my young friend?" He asked. "Is there something we can help you with, per chance?"

The man sighed. "Oh, am I glad that you two were wondering about. This part of North Yorkshire's pretty empty around this time. Looks like everyone's taking a holiday, it seems."

"It is a beautiful day for one." he said, nudging Lucy. "What can we do to help you, my friend?"

"Well, you see, my car has a flat right now, and I've got a spare in the trunk. The only problem is I don't have a tire iron, or jacks. I know, it's a stupid thing to say, but this car used to be someone else's. I've no idea why they thought the tire iron and jack to be rubbish."

The Doctor nodded as he knealt down next to the car, inspecting the wheel. "Indeed." He turned and showed his toothy grin. "Nothing we can't help with, of course! Go and get your spare, and we'll switch it out."

The man's eyes lit up. "Oh, thanks a lot, mate!" He said.

"Not a problem." The Doctor replied. "What's your name?"

"Derrick." The man said. "You, mate?"

"I'm the Doctor." The Time Lord then pointed to the horned pinkette. "This is my dear friend, Lucy."

Was not that the most convenient opportunity? Awkwardly, the Diclonius steps back, trying not to draw any sort of attention on herself, simply allowing the two men to speak. Had she not known better, Lucy would assume that these two were old pals, from they way they spoke. Damned, the Doctor made it appear so simple and easy to get along with strangers! Then again, he was a pious, warm spirited individual. As for HER? —- Warm was just about as opposite as it got for the horned girl.

Listening in, spacing out occasionally, it seemed that this man's car was in need of some sort of repair. A flat tire, as they say. Now, Lucy had absolutely no knowledge of motorized vehicles. She had only just learned how to ride a bicycle! And ten minutes later, the Diclonius was expected to assist with an entirely different animal. At least she was not the only one involved, correct?

Lucy would be stirred to answer once introduced, "Ah—… Mhh. Hello."

Usually, this would be where two strangers would shake hands, and thus, she reached out slowly, offering her hand, and initiating said action. That was not so hard, was it?

—Right, and then you acknowledge the other.

"It is nice to meet you, Derrick," she speaks, monotone.

So far so good! The stranger had turned to go and retrieved his spare. With curious eyes, Lucy takes a look at the car; what interesting things, they are. While many people walked or took bikes back at home, the pinkette had only seen cars when wandering around the busier sections of Kamakura. Smooth colors and material to match, she reaches and brushes a hand across the window, against her own reflection. How—-

—-And then it hit her. **Her horns were visible**— _VISIBLE!_ Visible to this STRANGER! Eyes widening, Lucy grew nervous anxiety quietly building in her stomach.

Derrick emitted a slight chuckle at Lucy's gesture. "Hello, Lucy." He said, smiling. "Thanks a lot for coming to help me. You and your friend are blessings, let me tell you, mate."

The Doctor then pulled out his Sonic Screwdriver, and went to work on the hub cap. "This won't take but a moment." He said. "I'll have to loosen up the bolts first."

"Do what you gotta do, mate." Derrick said, turning to the Time Lord. "I dunno how you're gonna get the hubcap and tire off without the tire iron."

"Oh, don't worry." He said, chuckling. "I've got my own methods." With that, he went to work, hovering the Screwdriver over the hubcap bolts.

Derrick shook his head. "Your friend's a odd duck, he is." He said. "I've been here for hours, and I didn't think anyone would come."

He looked down and saw the Doctor's scarf ends dangling on the ground from Lucy's small figure. "Your scarf's dragging, mate." He said, pointing to the tasseled ends.

—-Well, this was peculiar. Maybe the man was being courteous, and decided against bringing up the fact that this woman had a pair of horns sticking out of her head. It had happened before— at least, that is what Lucy could only assume. Any other time, and the strangers before her would either find them fascinating, or downright disturbing. Pursing her lips together, Lucy then became even MORE surprised as Derrick mentioned her FRIEND being the strange one— not her?

What exactly—?!

In fact, the Diclonius was caught speechless.

"Oi! I said your scarf's dragging."

"Oh— sorry," Lucy spoke up, cheeks pink from embarrassment. With haste, she adjusted the scarf, just to make sure that it would not be covered in dirt.

"What was that you were saying?"

"I said your friend is an odd duck. I've never seen anyone like him before."

"Strange? Oh, well— hmm, he's eccentric," the horned one spoke, not sure how else to describe the Doctor. Her mind was far too jumbled, trying to process the fact that a human being was being _decent to her_.

Derrick only nodded absentmindedly as he watched the Doctor loosen the hubcaps. "Weird that a Doctor comes along to help me." He shook his head in thought. "Doctor. What kind of a Doctor? And Doctor who?"

The Doctor laughed to himself as he overheard Derrick's thoughts when he spoke. 'Doctor who?' That was the question, indeed. This wasn't the first time he was asked that when meeting new people.

Derrick only sighed. "What's so funny, mate?" He asked the Doctor.

"Oh, nothing. Just thought of something amusing, is all." The Time Lord responded.

"Whatever, mate."

Derrick then looked over at the silent Diclonius. He noticed the protrusions on the side of his head, and wondered if those were normal to her.

"Sorry to ask, mate. But what's with those things on your head?" He asked. "Those seem like they must give you massive migraines. Is it a condition of sorts?"

**Tch**.

If she were an animal, her ears would perk up at the sudden questioning towards her horns— it was absolutely no surprise that eventually, the bony protrusions were brought up. Nobody else had horns, and they were undoubtedly different. Turning her head to the side, it took just about every nerve within her limp body to not at least shove Derrick where he stood; any other time, before coming across the Doctor, Lucy would have assaulted killed the man for his question.

At least, she would, if he were jeering them. Instead, he asked a simple question.

"… Sometimes," Lucy answers passively, trying not to sound aggravated, still looking at the vehicle in front of her, "sometimes they cause pain. Not right now, though. They are not bothering me right now…"

A hand reaches up to touch her right side horn, a habit that had been formed whenever they were the center of attention.

Derrick felt as if a strange, negative vibe reverberated from the pink haired girl. He scratched the top of his head.

"I'm, uh... I'm sorry for asking. I get curious sometimes. I..." He looked down, eyes averted. "Sorry."

The Doctor could feel the awkward vibe coming from the two as well. "Lucy, be nice." He said. "He was just curious."

"Yeah!" Derrick responded. "Uh... yeah. I didn't mean to offend."

The Doctor turned around, his grin showing. "I know you didn't!" He said, jovially. "You weren't making fun of her, were you?"

Derrick shook his head fervently. "No, no! Of course not!"

The Doctor looked at Lucy. "Told you." He said. "Now, play nice you two. I still need someone to help me get the tire on." He then went back to unscrewing the last hubcap bolt.

Damn it, of course she would flip the switch just as she was learning to act civil.

"Oh, no— it's fine, my apology," the Diclonius mentioned, waving a dismissive hand, "I'm just not accustom to people questioning about them. I usually have a hat on."

Fair enough save.

"You didn't offend," Lucy shook her head, crossing arms in a passive manner; when the Doctor mentioned that he needed assistance, the horned one once again spoke up. "I would help, but— I don't have the slightest idea or clue about anything concerning cars."

"Don't worry, Lucy." The Doctor said. "All I need are you special 'talents' to get the tire on. He doesn't have a jack after all."

Derrick tilted his head. "How the hell are you gonna do that, mate? I doubt you can lift the bloody thing."

The Doctor only grinned as he loosened the hubcap. "Oh, you'll see soon enough."

Derrick shook his head. "Your friend, mate. I dunno about him."

He looked at Lucy and her horns. "Sorry about asking, Lucy." He said. "I probably had the feeling you get teased about that a lot."

He then chuckled. "Your horns actually remind me of a funny story about my flatmate." Derrick scratched his ear. "Funny bit. We had a wasp nest on the outside of our flat, and he decided to be a hotshot and smack it down. He angered the lot, and actually got stung by two wasps in the head."

He pointed to one of the horns. "Actually got stung in the same place those things you have are. A few days later, it looked like he grew two large horns on the sides of his head. We called him Hellboy for weeks because of that."

Derrick laughed. "At least it was better than calling him our 'horny flatmate'. He probably would have killed the lot of us."

When was the last time that the Diclonius had participated in a casual conversation? —- A better question yet, is if whether or not she had EVER done so. Very vaguely, Lucy could recall a time where her naive alter self was in control of the body, walking along outside of Kouta and Yuka's university. They could go on and on and chatter with their fellow classmates as Nyu stood on the side, laughing and carrying on with them as well. Though, the words were not very intelligent, they were words. Now, had the more aggressive one been in charge, there would be little to nothing from her side of it all.

_Sigh, how obnoxious._

You are supposed to laugh when amusing things are spoken of, correct? Hmh. Humans being stung by venomous insects was hilarious to the Diclonius— Lucy allotted a chuckle when Derrick told the story of his unfortunate friend, though she did not understand the 'Hellboy' reference.

"Maybe he'll learn not to meddle with wasps again, hmh?" Lucy mentions, a light smile on her visage.

"Alright, Lucy. I'm going to need your 'talents' now." The Doctor said. "Could you come over to the rear of the car, please?"

Going over, she pondered whether or not to just stand there and let the vectors do all the work, or… Wait! THERE she had an idea!

Bending to her knees, the Diclonius allowed her vectors to simply hover over her own arms; grabbing the back of the vehicle, she mimed the movement of lifting the back, but actually allowed the invisible super appendages to do the work. And there it was! Lucy had managed to keep the car up, allowing the Doctor go about his work.

The Doctor looked up as Lucy made the appearance of lifting the car, where it was _pretty obvious_ that her vectors were being used for support.

He smiled. "Well, look at you, Lucy!" He said.

Derrick, however, widened his eyes. "How...? How the bloody hell are you doing that...?" He was aghast, to say the least. Who would have thought a petite looking girl like her could lift up the rear of a car?

As the Doctor chuckled, he looked back at Derrick. "We're almost done. I just need to detach this old tire. Go to the trunk and grab your spare."

Looking at the Doctor, dumbfounded, he nodded. "...Right." He then went over to Lucy and unlocked his trunk, pulling out a spare from the underside of the fabric. "You two sure are the most unusual people to ever help a bloke like me." Derrick smiled at Lucy. "But I'm grateful for what you are doing. I mean that."

The Doctor looked at Derrick and Lucy, as the civilian did his best to convey his gratitude, albeit in an awkward fashion. Was he making a pass at Lucy? Either case, he smiled as Lucy was processing his words.

Now was the moment for Lucy to try and explain just how managed to lift a two-ton hunk of steel— "Mhhhhh, I guess it is the right thing to do, helping out a stranger in need. That's what my mentor has taught me, at least," she mentions passively; most obviously, that was a reference to her scarved friend, standing there with her hands full, not even batting a lash or sweating in the least. Seeing a petite young woman able to handle something of that weight obviously was very much unheard of.

Dare she say that there was a sense of accomplishment within? It was such a trivial, every day thing for humans— being able to hold a conversation with somebody on the side of the road, assisting them when in need. To Lucy, all of this, it was all so alien and new, and such a challenge, that she couldn't help but feel some pride for the selfless deed.

Inside, the Doctor was swelling with joy. Here was Lucy, actually talking with a human, and not making a murderous action. Not one drop of blood was spilled. She was making progress!

Much like when Susan Foreman took her first steps during his original incarnation, the Doctor couldn't help but feel a fatherly pride in Lucy's actions. The fact that she was able to withhold her rage, and actually assist a human, a being that she thought was _scum and far below her_, was something of a sight to behold.

Needless to say, the Doctor couldn't be happier at this event.

Going back to the tire, he loosened the last bolt with the Sonic Screwdriver. "Okay, Derrick. Bring your spare over. Let's get this properly situated."

Blinking for a moment, Derrick looked at the Doctor. "Ah! Right." He then passed by Lucy and handed the Doctor the tire. "Here you are, mate."

With a nod, the Doctor slid the tire into the axle and proceeded to reattach the bolts with the screwdriver. "Shouldn't be too long, now." After a few tightening of bolts later, he looked at Lucy. "Okay, Lucy. You can let go. But set it down slowly."

* * *

_"Hey! Come on! There's a lot of animals for us to see! We can't just hang out in one place."_

_The little horned girl was in awe, gasping and cheering as she looked at all of the large, unique animals at the zoo. Never before had she seen real life giraffes, elephants and reptiles! How charming and fascinating! And to know that she was here with her new friend, Kouta, it was lovely… It was a day that would never be copied and redone… Truly, this was the greatest day that young Kaede would ever have._

_And the very next, would be the absolute worst._

* * *

_"How— How could you do this?! I thought we were friends?!"_

_Looming over the bodies, Kaede uttered to the boy, __"…What are you talking about? It's because we're friends that I didn't kill you…"_

* * *

The memories whispering in the back of Lucy's mind as she went through the motions of assisting with the car, making sure to carefully lower it down to the ground.

_'…Kouta and the others, they would be so happy to hear how well I am doing. I… I wonder if I ever cross their minds? But Kouta… He is so busy with University. Yuka, Nana, Mayu, I am utterly sure that they enjoy their care free lifestyle, without having to worry aboutsoldiersand doctors kicking down the door, looking for me. Kouta-kun… I'm helping out humans now, I'm trying to behave, I really am.'_

The car the lowered with a slight bounce. "Good work, Lucy!" The Doctor said. With one final check, he made sure that the bolts were tightened on the wheel. With luck, they were.

The Doctor then rose up and flashed a toothy grin to Derrick. "There we are!" He said. "That should just about do it. Should last you until you replace it with a new tire. Is there an automobile repair shop nearby?"

Derrick shrugged and leaned on the car, next to the Doctor. "I reckon I could find one. I've got a few friends who know of some shops that they could refer me to." He then took the Doctor's hand and shook it. "Listen, thanks for your help, mate. I probably would be stranded the whole day if you two didn't turn up."

"No trouble at all, Derrick!" The Doctor said, taking out his bag of Jelly Babies. "I don't suppose you would care for a Jelly Baby?"

Derrick's face lit up. "Sure! I haven't had a Jelly Baby in a while." He then reached into the bag and poppeda green one into his mouth without a second thought.

"Do be careful while driving, Derrick." The Doctor advised, pocketing his sweets. "It would be wise if you found a shop as soon as possible, and not drive on your spare for too long."

"Don't worry, mate. My mum's isn't too far from here. I'll just give my friends a ring on her phone. My own mobile is dead. But thanks for the advice."

Derrick then went over to Lucy at the trunk of his car. "And thank you, mate. You were brilliant, you were." Derrick slightly blushed as he scratched the back of his head. "Listen. It's probably a long shot, but are you doing anything later? We could grab a bite to eat, if you want? I know this really good place."

The Doctor laughed as he put a hand on Derrick's shoulder. Quite amusing, it was, that a human was asking Lucy out on a date. She's probably not ready for that… yet.

"Terribly sorry, my dear fellow." The Doctor said. "Lucy and I have a previous engagement tonight."

He laughed as he looked at the Doctor. "Hard luck, eh?" He joked, before looking back to Lucy. "It was worth a shot, at least."

My, what did this remind the horned girl of?

* * *

_"Kouta, you need to start cleaning, right away! It's already mid day!"_

_The raven haired male grumbles, rubbing the back of his head, standing and proceeding to collect his materials to begin the day's chores. Along with him were Mayu and Nana, washing the floor, putting the laundry on drying lines, and making sure that their dog, Wanta, was fed and cared for._

_Yuka, the 'mother' of the house, was a strict one, and tough willed, but in the end, it was her confidence and push that kept the household clean and in tact— especially when it came to Kouta's lazy ways._

_"And make sure Nyu doesn't get into anything," the woman reminds, "she knows her chores schedule by now!"_

_A cheerful, childish grin._

_Nyu, a much more innocent side of Lucy that the family knew, and came to love._

_"Nyyuuuu! I'll work very hard, Yuka-san. Promise!"_

* * *

Smiling to herself, eyes lidded in thought, Lucy wondered how that small family was, if they kept up to date with the cleaning— and mostly, if they missed her.

—But, why would she think of that, now, of all times? This was a period for the horned one to fix herself, for the better! Having those back in Kamakura in the back of her mind would not assist in that. With a sigh, she brushes them aside once more, paying attention to Derrick and the Doctor. The stranded man was carrying on with her scarved companion, eating a Jelly Baby, thanking the duo for their help.

With a proper, traditional bow of respect, the Diclonius responded to Derrick's request, "Gomenasai, perhaps another time." She had copied the actions that were done whenever one of her own 'family' greeted or departed with another individual at the Maple Inn. Lucy herself was oblivious to the romantic notion, due to her mind being flooded with quite a bit of thought, memory, and conflict. However, she remained composed with a gentle smile on her face, behaving just as the Doctor would have wished her to do. And on that note, Lucy believed that she had done well.

"I do wish you luck with your vehicle," the horned one bid kindly.

Derrick nodded. "Thanks, Lucy. You were a lot of help." He turned to the scarved Time Lord. "And thank you, Doctor. I dunno how I can repay you."

"Who said you had to repay?" the Doctor said with a toothy grin. "Just as long as you don't get any more flats in the future, eh?"

"Will do, mate. I gotta get going."

He then closed the door of his trunk and went to his driver side, getting into his seat. As he started the car, he turned to Lucy.

"By the way! Love the horns, mate! Don't get rid of 'em, you hear?"

And with that, Derrick waved farewell to the duo and drove off into the distance, rounding the bend and disappearing into the distance.

_'Love the horns, mate! Don't get rid of 'em, you hear?'_

The very moment that statement processed, Lucy's eyes widened in a very visible manner.

_'Don't get rid of 'em, you hear?'_

"…"

* * *

_"Wow! They're great! They're so great! I'm jealous…!"_

* * *

There was absolutely nothing that could have prepared the killer for such a compliment. And from a complete stranger. In that moment, the Diclonius felt her heart lighten— it may only be a meager shift in weight, but it was significant no matter.

While exchanging an embrace with the Time Lord, Lucy speaks up quietly, "… To think… To think that fixing a car could lead to such joy… Despite how small of a light it may be… It's one of the only stars in my night sky."

With a warm smile, the Doctor turned to the Diclonius. "Well done, Lucy. You handled yourself wonderfully." He then hugged Lucy in a warm embrace. "I'm proud of you. I _really_ am very proud of you."

As they part, her voice is risen once more, "You are the first person to ever be proud of me."

The Doctor smiled widely. "What reason do I have _not_ to be?" He asked. "You're showing me _exactly_ what I had said to you when we first met. That life _can_ be treasured, and you still have a chance to change."

He pointed to her. "And what did you just show me? You just helped out a person that you, at one time, thought was _nothing but scum, _the very dirt below your feet, and you would've ripped his limbs off without a second thought. Am I right?"

The Doctor could see Lucy lightly nod, still with a smile on her face.

"And you didn't do that, did you?"

Lucy shook her head. "No. I guess I did not."

"I told you before, Lucy. Youare _not_ a monster. You never were. You only believed that because of that pesky, murderous voice in your head." He said, pointed to her temple.

"You're more than that. You're a wonderful creature, and bloodshed _should never_ be your solitude."

He was right… This was a dramatic turn in Lucy's character. Recalling a moment that she had with herself once upon a time, the Diclonius maintained a softened expression.

'_My ideal self. I always said, that when I died, when I came back, I would be a good girl. I would behave, and live happily with humans. Maybe in my next life, I'll have a mother and father that will be delighted to call me 'daughter'. Maybe…_'

"There is still a lot for me to do, before I can completely accept humans as a whole," Lucy admits, looking up at the Time Lord, "but… You think I've done well— and I think I've done well too. I guess… Everybody starts off somewhere."

Nodding once more, she steps aside, grabbing a hold of her bike, one hand on the left handle, "I have a lot to do before I can consider myself to not be a monster, but, convincing_ you_ is an accomplish in itself."

The Doctor went over to Lucy and uncoiled the scarf from her neck, recoiling it around his own, the ends flowing down to the ground. Going over to his own bike, he mounted his seat.

"You'll get better with time, Lucy." He said. "As you said, everyone starts somewhere. But you've made fantastic progress in changing yourself."

He then kicked up the kickstand and rode ahead of Lucy. "Now come on. There's plenty more for us to see!"

For a while, the duo would wind through the paths of Yorkshire, sharing the sights and enjoying lighthearted conversation. Lucy was in a rather laid back mood, one that she had not enjoyed in quite some time. And, for the first time ever, she was not worried about others noticing the bony horns upon her head. Neither did the concern of being captured ever cross her mind.

After about twenty minutes, Lucy would stop her bike; a small group of ducklings, following their mother, were crossing the dirt path, heading towards what appeared to be a pond.

Kicking his kickstand down, the Doctor dismounted and produced a small bag of bread crumbs from his pocket. "Never knew when I would use these again." He said, as he grabbed a handful of bread. The ducks would then waddle to the pond as they continued to swim in single file. He then tossed the crumbs into the water, and within a second, the ducks traced the source of the small splashes and became attracted to the new found food.

Swimming towards the bread, the mother duck and duckling began to scoop the bread into their beaks. The Doctor would then hand the bag of crumbs to the Diclonius.

"Care to feed the ducks, Lucy?" He asked with a toothy grin.

"Of course I want to feed the ducks," Lucy answered immediately, deserting her bicycle and grabbing a handful of the bread crumbs, kneeling down by the edge of the pond. Holding her hand out, one of the more curious ducklings approached, eating straight from the palm of the horned one. Smiling, she appeared serene and in a state of peace, as she communed with her environment.

Dahlia eyes look across the water; this view, it reminded her of the Enoshima shore.

"… There was a beautiful view of the ocean, when I stayed in Kamakura. We would always watch the sunset, whenever we came home from daily chores, or from running errands…" A melancholy smile appeared on her visage.

"I wonder… If they still do that?"

The Doctor knelt next to the Diclonius. "It sounds nice, Lucy." He said. "I've actually not been to Kamakura. It had been so long since I visited Japan, Satoyama was the first place in Japan I've been to. I usually wind up in the bigger cities, like Tokyo, Kyoto, or Osaka. Even Edo, if you want to go further back."

Taking some more breadcrumbs into his hand, he fed a few ducks that ate from his hand as well. "It sounds like you spent most of your life there, Lucy." He said. "What exactly is Kamakura like? Is there anyone that you know from there? You sound as if you just came from a family…"

Instantly, a distinctly sad smile was offered by Lucy, as she was asked that question.

The beast began to spin a tale.

"…Kamakura is a sea-side country town, for the most part. Only the inner part of the city has a heavy population. It is right at the foot of a mountain range, surrounded by the shore. There is a train station," she mentioned the very station where she had killed Kanae and Kouta's father, " … where you come into the city. My orphanage as a child was in the mountains, overlooking Kamakura."

A sigh.

"I… For a while, lived with that boy, that you saw in my memories, after I broke free. Kouta, and his cousin, Yuka. The two of them allowed me to stay in the house for a while, but that was before Kouta regained his memories. He suffered amnesia, because of—" a thick gulp, "… because of me, because of the death of his sister and father. For the longest time, he did not know it was me who was there— he simply thought I was an abandoned stranger."

That's right... She had never spoken of the underground labyrinth that she escaped from, nor the 'family' that once gave the horned one a home.

Lucy glanced over at the Time Lord, that same smile on her face, despite being deeply saddened, "Kouta will never forgive me for killing those two. And so, when his memories returned, he told me to leave his sight. It was for the best, so… I complied."

The Doctor noted the sadness in Lucy's voice, as she spoke of the boy she knew as Kouta. That same memory replayed through his own mind, the death of his little sister, and his father. It was no wonder he developed amnesia.

"Kouta suffered, what sounds to me, amnesia related to mental trauma." The Doctor said. "That's normal among humans witnessing a horrific tragedy like that. Even _I_ would want to forget that, if something like that happened to a member of my own family."

He looked at Lucy, and put a hand on her shoulder to show support. "I know that it's not easy for you to hear, but it's more than likely Kouta _will never_ forgive you. He has good reason not to. Humans never forget those that have wronged them, or have taken something so precious from them."

Lucy's face was still with a sad smile, as if she were trying to stay strong. "But, it sounds like you don't want his forgiveness. What you are wanting from him is absolution. Is that right?"

"_I—-I know, that Kouta will never forgive me. He has told me, and never will that moment leave me— it's selfish, to feel sad about that… Because I have caused him so much hurt. All he has done is try to live a happy life, and because of my neediness— H-Had I just, left him alone, and not tried to go and see him at that festival—!_" Lucy's voice cracked.

"_—__This would have never happened… He could have come back to visit me the next year… We could have gone back to the zoo… And eaten ice cream together… Maybe he would have let me meet his family… Maybe they would have liked my horns as well…_"

A thick silence followed suit for a while; nothing could be said.

"_… __But I'll never know… I'll never be able to even imagine… Because that possibility slipped away, so… So… Long ago… A-and yet… Even if Kouta never forgives me… I feel better knowing that I feel this sadness, I know what I have done wrong— I just want my sins… To be pardoned…_"

"Come here, Lucy."

With that, the Doctor drew Lucy into a hug, comforting the Diclonius much like he would with his own granddaughter when she was sad. There were times, back all of those years ago, that Susan would be scared stiff about humans not accepting her, that she would seem the odd person out with her vast intelligence. How the Doctor missed her, leaving her behind after the Dalek's previous invasion of Earth.

Much like Susan, the Doctor started to see Lucy as another daughter, of sorts. A child who was lost in the path of life, and committed atrocities that _even she_ would wish she didn't commit.

Time has a way of catching up with you when you've had an effect like that.

A Time Lord, even more so.

"In the short time we've known each other, you've shown me a lot about your life, Lucy." He said, stroking the pink locks as his hands hit the horns. "I know you wish things to be different, and that you want a clean slate."

An idea popped into his mind. Drawing her away, he looked at her in her eyes. "What do you want to do, Lucy? Do you feel like this is the right thing you want?"

He lowered his head a bit, to make certain that Lucy was certain she wanted this. "Do you want to pay Kouta a visit?"

'_I want… To see Kouta… Just one last time. I want to see him so badly. I know we will never be together, I have accepted that… And though he will never forgive me, and we will be worlds apart, I just want to have him as a friend… That's all I've wanted. A friend.'_

As she was held and comforted, Lucy hesitatingly gave a nod in response to the Time Lord's question, "I do, even though I should not return. I bring about disaster wherever I go— and that family has already dealt with so much because of me."

"If… If I were to visit Kouta and the others, it would have to be brief. In and out. Just to see if I can have my absolution," the Diclonius mentioned. Slowly, but surly, the tears ceased to fall.

"Would you be able to, Doctor? Would you be able to let me see them just once more? It will help me let go— I will never be able to fully turn around, if I continue to hold onto this poisonous guilt. It would all be in vain."

The Doctor flashed a toothy grin to Lucy. "I have a TARDIS, remember? We can go anywhere you want." He then poked her nose. "Even if it means seeing Kouta."

He nodded. "I'll take you to see him. If you want, I'll be there with you, by your side. I know this is a very trying time for you. You have me for support."

The Time Lord brought her back in for another hug. "And always remember. I _am_ your friend, Lucy. And so is K-9. You don't have to fret about not having one, anymore."

"R-Really?!"

A nervous thump is produced by her heart: She was going to see Kouta! She was going to see Kouta, Yuka, Mayu, Nana— all of them! Oh how on edge she abruptly became— Lucy was excited, and nervous, all at once. And it was a pleasant sensation! Just as a daughter would cling to her father, the Diclonius allowed the hug.

Oddly enough, it caused her to remember that soft-voiced little Silpelit, the way she would cling onto that one man…

_"Papa! I'm so happy to see Papa! Are you proud of me?"_

"… Doctor, you are the best friend I could ever wish for."

What could the Doctor say to that? If you were in his position, you wouldn't either. This girl who had thought herself a monster actually had a friend, and the Doctor was more than happy to hear that coming from the horned girl.

She had a friend, and that was all that had mattered. He brought light to an otherwise darkened sky, as was his forte.

Releasing the hug, he adjusted his hat. "We mustn't waste any time, then." He said. "Let's ride back to the TARDIS. I'm rather anxious to meet Kouta."

He walked over to his bike, and mounted it. "Shall we?"

"And I thought you had said that we had all the time in the world?" Lucy joked lightly, remounting her bicycle, "None the less, you're right… Let's go."

The duo wound through the paths, backtracking away from the pond, passing where they had assisted Derrick, zipping through the trees before eventually reaching the TARDIS where it stood.

"That's the trouble when you've traveled through time as long as I have." The Doctor joked back. "You think you have all the time in the world, then something interesting pops up. The trouble of doing everything you want to do, is that you never seem to find the time."

As they had backtracked their path, they wound up back to the TARDIS. Dismounting his bike, the Doctor unlocked the door, and wheeled his bike into the Console Room, Lucy following suit.

Closing the bigger double doors, he clapped his hands together, eyeing the controls. Once Lucy set her bike next to the Doctor's, he went to work on the coordinates.

The console room was about as mind-boggling as the rest of the TARDIS and it's immense amount of controls; by good fortune, Lucy need not to understand any of it.

"So, two things. First, do you know where Kouta resides?

"He resides at the Maple Inn, just four blocks away from Gokurakuji Train Station— there are a lot of traditional temples around the area… You have to climb a stone stairway to wind up reaching the location. It used to be a restaurant for a while, and then a small hotel, but then the owners leased it, hence why they have so much room," Lucy mused, recalling the setting as if it were just yesterday when she had watched the sunset on the ocean with everybody else, "I will be able to lead you."

As the Doctor entered the coordinates, he tried to decide to find a good landing place for the TARDIS. "Stairs, eh?" He asked. "Never really care much for those things if it involves climbing. I should be able to reach the top if we pop the TARDIS in just right. The Doctor said, inputting the coordinates. "Second, aside from what I've seen of his younger self, what is he like?"

Shaking her hair out a little, a hand brushes through the pink strands, eyes calm, "What is he…Like? Mhhh. Kouta can be dense at times, but, he means well, I suppose. He has a simple personality— sometimes it leaves him annoying, I will not lie."

Once the coordinates were entered, the flipped the lever, and the Time Rotor started to move. They were off to the Maple Inn in Kamakura. "So, Kouta is one of those people that isn't quite bright? I've dealt with a few humans quite like that. I swear, sometimes humans can have such limited little minds. I don't know why I like them so much."

He echoed the same thing he said to Sarah Jane just before coming across the Mandragora Helix, and remembered what Sarah had said.

* * *

"_Because you have such good taste!"_

* * *

That was true, indeed. He did have an affinity for humans, and they amused him to a degree. But never in a very misanthropic way. More of seeing a little kid trying to stumble about before trying to help them a bit.

"What about his cousin? Yuka, I think you said her name was?"

Shoulders shrug, "Average education, nothing that really stands out about his appearance— he and Yuka attend the same university nearby. It isn't a prestigious one, but the two of them keep their grades at a good level. They are hard workers, and often times invite people to stay with them if they come upon difficult living. That is exactly how I wound up crossing paths with Kouta after being separated for nearly nine years…"

Nerves tugged at bothered Lucy's stomach.

She had absolutely no clue what to expect when stepping through the doorway— the last time that there was dialogue between the two, it was not an easy one, not at all. Kouta's amnesia had finally been cured due to a rather unfortunate, gruesome display of violence that played out in front of him, thanks to Lucy's rage. Upon confronting the beast, it was clear that the once calm, collect boy, could barely contain his own anger; he had damned the Diclonius, telling her to get out of his sight, and that forgiveness would never be given. Despite the other members of the household making an attempt at calming Kouta down, Lucy decided against waiting— she vanished, claiming that she would never see each other again.

…Was Kouta serious when he said that he had never wanted to see her again?

Even more so, would he be more happy to see Lucy— or her soft, naive alter, Nyu? Lidding her eyes in thought, it would be convenient and simple if she allowed Nyu to take control in the meantime; everybody in the Maple Inn household preferred the childish personality.

But! The Doctor would EASILY call her bluff and figure out just what was going on.

No, she could not allow Nyu to take control of this situation. It was Lucy's life to fix. Not the others.

After a bit of time, the Time Rotor stopped moving, as the engines ground to a halt. "We've landed, Lucy." He said with a toothy grin. Activating the view screen, the Doctor could see a small gated building with a taller building just behind it. In front of it were some stairs, most likely the ones Lucy was talking about.

"Perfect landing, too! Looks like we've landed just in front of the main staircase Told you we wouldn't worry about any stairs."

Flipping the door lever open, he and Lucy walked to the blue exterior doors. As they both filed out of the TARDIS, the Doctor closed the door behind him, taking in the scenery.

It certainly was peaceful, to say the least. It was as if they were still in the Yorkshire countryside. No wonder Lucy mentioned they help people come stay with them. It almost seemed like a sanctuary.

Knowing Lucy, the fact she lived here for some time, she certainly needed one. At least, before she called the TARDIS her sanctuary.

Standing side by side, he took her hand and grasped it. "Are you sure you want to go through with this, Lucy?" He asked. "We can back out, if you like. I don't want to force you to do anything you're not comfortable with."

An incredible wave of nostalgia hit Lucy like a tidal wave the very moment they stepped out of the TARDIS; humming cicadas and talkative birds could be heard from every direction as the sakura blossoms lazily fell to the ground, a thin layer of the petals already littered across the concrete path. If one were to walk just a few paces south, they would be blessed with a beautiful view of Enoshima Beach. Traditional statues lined the path, along with bamboo stalks and trees that had been growing there for decades.

Closing her eyes, the Diclonius took in the sounds and scents, inhaling deeply, and then exhaling. This was it… At this point, there was no worth in turning back. She would never achieve her happy ending until the thick, toxic air that had been left behind by her sins was clear.

Nodding and squeezing her friend's hand, Lucy speaks lowly, "It is time… Let's go."

* * *

The kitchen was busy, full of bubbling pots and simmering pans of different foods that were all being prepared at once; the cook behind all of this was an amateur, and was not all too sure as to how to organize her work.

"Hnnnhhhh— Oh no, if I don't get all this stuff done, the others will think I'm lazy!" A horned girl whispers to herself nervously, frantically trying to keep the rice from boiling over, along with preventing her chicken from burning.

"Nana is so tired… Why did I make this much food?"

* * *

"Wanta, if you keep stopping like this, we'll never get home before lunch time!" A child's voice was then heard behind the two— the girl would come into view only seconds afterwards once Lucy turned her head to get a look. Bobbed black hair bounced up and down as the girl made her way up the winding steps, holding a make-shift dog leash that had been crafted from thin rope. Next to her ran a small, cream colored puppy, startlingly similar to the appearance of Lucy's when she was a child.

Red eyes widen— it was Mayu!

"_Ma—!_"

But before those words had come from the pinkette's mouth, the girl stops, equally surprised.

"…Nyu-san?… Nyu-san! Nyu-san is back!" She shouted with mirth, running forward and waving, tugging Wanta along, "Nyu-san! I didn't think I'd ever see you again!" The girl practically launched herself off of the last step, hugging onto Lucy as if she were an older sister.

Thrown off, the Diclonius stared down, awkwardly reaching one hand and patting Mayu on the top of her head, "H-Hello to you too…!"

Pausing, large brown eyes blink, looking at Lucy, and then to the Time Lord.

"—Are you Nyu-san's friend?"

The Doctor couldn't help but flash a toothy grin to the young girl that hugged Lucy, as if she had known her as a close family member.

"Last time I had checked, I believe I was!" The Doctor quipped. "How do you do, my dear?" He tipped his hat as he squat down to the girl's level. "My name's the Doctor. I'm a dear friend of Lucy's."

Wanta relished in all of the attention, rolling onto his back and playfully nipping at the Doctor's hand; his coat was clean, a sure sign of an owner who cared.

"T-The Doctor? You're a Doctor?" Mayu speaks up quizzically, her voice very much soft spoken, "Doctor who? Doctor sure is a strange first name…" The girl's voice trails off as she was caught daydreaming for a moment, before coming back to earth and waving both hands frantically, "I-I didn't mean to seem rude! I-I've just never met a Doctor before!"

Within a second, the dog then jumped into the Doctor's lap, and started licking his face. "Well, I can see that _you_ are certainly friendly." He said to the dog, picking him up. "Who's a good dog? You are!" He then wiggled his nose against the dog's, the canine licking the Time Lord's nose.

"You don't have a collar..." He said, raising an eyebrow. "I wonder what your name is..." He then turned to the younger girl. "What about you, my young friend? What's your name?"

Smiling, the girl messed with the long sleeves of her bright yellow sweater, reaching and scooping up her puppy, "This is Wanta, my dog… And I'm Mayu! Nyu-san, I didn't know you had made friends," Mayu spoke up, openly surprised.

Sighing, the Diclonius rubs the back of her neck, "I'm about as surprised as you are…" A gulp followed her comment, "Is… Kouta home?"

Shaking her head, Mayu reached her hand out, grabbing Lucy's, "He and Yuka are still at school, but they should be home in an hour! How about you and your friend come in and eat— Nana's cooking in the kitchen!"

Before either of them could answer, Mayu was already dragging the Diclonius by the hand through the archway, pulling her shoes off and placing them on the front step of Maple Inn.

Rushing over to Lucy, he stopped short before kicking his boots off, and setting them on the front step as he walked in. He almost forgot it was an Asian custom to leave the shoes at the door. Setting his boots next to Lucy's and Mayu's, he strolled inside as Mayu let go of Lucy's hand and ran into what looked like the kitchen. As Lucy took in the sights of the peaceful interior of what was known as the Maple Inn, the Doctor walked next to her, surveying the scenery as well.

"Nyu?" The Doctor whispered to Lucy, so that Mayu couldn't hear them. "Why was she calling you Nyu, Lucy? Was it a nickname that you had when you were here?"

As she slipped out of her muddy sneakers, Lucy heard the Time Lord question as to why Mayu was addressing the Diclonius as 'Nyu'. Rather than diving into the rather long reason behind it, she simply answered, "It's sort of a long story, I will explain it to you later."

Across the inn, one could hear Mayu chatting with excitement towards the Silpelit cooking in the kitchen— and of course, Nana was already well aware of Lucy's presence, due to being able to sense one another.

"But why? Why is she here?" The little horned child speaks up with a great amount of confusion, "I thought she didn't want to be around here anymore!"

The human girl shrugs it off, picking Wanta back up off of the ground as the little dog barked for attention, "Who knows! But she brought a friend with her!"

Momentarily, Nana left the kitchen, skidding down the hallway barefoot, wearing a soft blue summer dress, stopping the very moment that she spotted the elder Diclonius and her scarved friend. It was true— the queen was here. Cherry-red eyes widen, the Silpelit's mouth agape.

"L-Lucy-sama…!'

The Doctor's eyes widened the moment he saw another pink haired girl skid across the wooden floor, looking at the two. She was a bit younger than Lucy, but something was different.

Much like his friend, this girl...! She, too, possessed the horns of the Diclonii!

Could it be possible? That the Doctor had found yet _another_ Diclonius?

But yet, there was something else. She didn't have a violent disposition resonating from her. Not unlike the first night the Time Lord came across Lucy. Was she... a friendly Diclonius?

"She has the horns..." He said to himself quietly. Overcoming his state of shock, he cleared his throat and chuckled a bit, taking off his hat and stuffing it in his coat pocket.

"Terribly sorry, my friend." He said to the young horned girl, who seemed as shocked as he was. "I wasn't aware that there would be others home. I'm the Doctor, a friend of Lucy's. What do I call you?"

"The Doctor…?" Childish, naive eyes blink, "O-Oh no! Are you here because someone is sick?" Nana lifted a hand to her mouth, both cheeks blushing from the surprise, "Is Lucy-sama sick? I-I can make some hot tea i-if you'd like!"

Before either the Time Lord, elder Diclonius, or human child could speak up, Nana raced away, returning to the kitchen, the sound of pots clanging here and there as the kettle was filled with water and placed on the stove.

Mayu giggles to herself, "You two can come with me!"

They would be led to the resting room, open towards the garden in the back, a small koi pond decorated with the fallen sakura blossoms in view; it was nearly two, and so the sun could be visible in the shallow water.

"It appears that nothing much has changed around here," Lucy utters softly to herself, looking around.

"Nope! Not really, same schedule, same chores," Mayu chirps, Wanta following quickly at foot, "Here Lucy, lemme get you some clean clothes— erm, Doctor?" The girl pauses, "Could you go to the kitchen and make sure that Nana hasn't knocked anything over? She means well, but, she can be a little clumsy."

"Certainly." The Doctor said. "You behave now, Lucy. I'll be in the kitchen." He then wheeled around back into the Inn, and made his way into the kitchen. What he saw was a cavalcade of pots, pans, and a multitude of foods being prepared all at once. Eyes widened, he saw that the girl was trying to balance a huge stack of plates, trying to get everything set for dinner.

Without a second thought, he grabbed half of the plates that were wobbling about, almost falling over.

"Let me help you with that." The Doctor said. "Can't have you handling this by yourself. You're taking on too many things at once."

He and the younger Diclonius then set the plates down on the table, and ran back into the kitchen, putting lids on the bubbling pots to keep the heat contained.

"There we are!" He said. "Now, it looks like you jumbled a few things up a bit. Which foods did you cook first, Miss...?"

Her face lit up with an immensely embarrassed pink, reaching a hand out "Y-You didn't have to do that!" Nana spoke up— it was supposed to be a shout, but it only came out as a dull roar due to her small frame and stuttering voice. Pursing her lips into a small pout, the Silpelit shakes her head a little, bowing, "G-Gomen, I appreciate your help, Mister Doctor. I hope Lucy-sama gets better! We usually don't have them come to the house… O-Or a better question would be how you found her!"

Puffing her cheeks and then exhaling, the Silpelit released a vector to reach over and flip the cooking takoyaki balls on the griddle with a chopstick, allowing them to cook on the other sides— and yet another slipped over to fold the vinegar into her sushi rice. And even then, ANOTHER vector reached and turned one of the sections of the stove off once the kettle had whistled, "Tea on in a second!" The girl pipes up, pouring hot water into a small cup, walking herself over and using a physical hand to plop the tea bag in. Noticing a broken chopstick forgotten next to the stove, she picks it up, putting it in her mouth for the moment.

Turning, the Silpelit practically glowed with confidence, a small hop in her step "Gee, I'm glad I ended up making so much food…! Nana is happy to have so much company!" With a skip and a hum, the horned child began rambling, returning her attention on the plethora of cooking foods. "The takoyaki will be done in a minute… O-Oh! But the miso should be simmering over there! Where did I put the udon— oh no—-"

So, Nana was the younger Diclonius's name. Why was it that almost all of the Diclonii that the Doctor had come across so far, they all had lovely, cute names? Maybe it was deliberate they have names like that, if they ever became violent. Did it serve as a way to fool humans if a Diclonius ever wanted to kill?

Certainly not this one. She didn't seem like Lucy.

As Nana was having a frantic panic attack about her over abundance of food, the Doctor then rummaged around the pantries, and found some udon noodles to cook with the Miso soup. Bringing a hot, empty pan to the sink, he filled it with water, a billow of steam rising up to the ceiling. After filling it halfway, the Doctor quickly set it on the stove. He then noticed other ingredients were floating about the kitchen.

The Doctor couldn't help but smile.

"I see you're putting your vectors to good use, Nana." He said. "They certainly seem good enough in a pinch. But I do say you're biting off more than you can chew."

He then grabbed some pepper that Nana's vector had grasped next to his head, and seasoned the udon as they were softening. "Now, once things have settled down, I'd be happy to tell you how Lucy and I met, but one thing at a time, my dear."

He then grabbed the cooked takoyaki, and set them down on a platter with chop sticks. "And I believe you are mistaken. Lucy's not sick, and I'm not really a _medical_ Doctor. It's more of an honorary title, you see."

The Doctor looked at the chaos happening on the stoves. "Now, what else do you need? With all of this food, certainly you must have something else that's in danger of overcooking..."

It was a rare occasion to have somebody willing to assist in the kitchen! Usually, Mayu was just as sloppy as the little Silpelit was; Yuka tended to be overly bossy, and Kouta always hurt himself. It wasn't until Nyu learned how to work the stove and cook rice that Nana had any sort of help— of course, though, that was before she had taken her leave.

A persnickety glow is present on the Silpelit's face, leaning her head to the side in an endearing, childish manner. It was not every day that somebody complimented the use of her vectors! Only her beloved 'Papa' ever did so.

"Y-You really think so? Aahhhh~!" Both physical fists pull up to her cheeks as Nana spins in her step; her little dress gave an amusing spin as it swayed with the movement, "Papa always said that I did a great job with them! E-Even if I don't have the best control— mhmm! He said that a lotta potential."

As expected, as the little one chirped with joy, the rice ended up boiling over.

"A-Ahhh ahh ahh ahh ahh!" Nana reaches forward, lifting the pot off of the stove. Shaking her short pink hair out, her lips push out into a pout; "Nana got distracted again…"

Racing around the kitchen, soon food was pulled off of the stove; somen noodles were placed in ice water to chill, takoyaki balls pulled off and placed on serving plates. Rice was put aside, the miso udon soup put on a simmer to remain warm.

"So… Lucy-sama isn't sick?… That's good to hear!" The girl sings, skipping forward to carry the grab more dishes out of their cabinets to serve the food— the Time Lord was in her way, and without warning, two of her vectors shifted up, grabbing him by the shoulders and scooting him aside, "'Scuse me!"

The Doctor was surprised when Nana picked him up with her vectors. He had forgotten how much strength they can possess, even with the slightest push.

"I could have helped you, you know." He said, as plates started to hover above Nana's head and then were sat down on the table. Looking at it, he saw a whole wealth of food that seemed to have been prepared for the whole day.

Yet... something was missing.

"That should be everything. Although..." He then sniffed the air, and then his eyes widened. "That smells like your chicken is done!"

He then went over to one of the pans, and lifted the lid. It smelled like chicken, except for one thing.

Nana was cooking it in a stir fry!

"Oh dear!" The Doctor cried out, hurredly turning off the stove and taking the pan off of the heat. He grabbed a wooden spoon and started stirring up the contents as fast as possible.

"Nana! Grab me a-" He then saw a serving plate floating in front of him. "...Yes, that'll work." The Doctor then started to pour the contents of the stir fry on the plate, as he was trying to salvage the dish as best he could. The plate then hovered over to the center of the table.

Turning back to face the disarrayed kitchen, he flashed a toothy grin to Nana, who was panting. "Well done, Nana! You did a fantastic job!"

Without a second thought, he produced his Jelly Babies and squat down to the younger Diclonius's level. "Here. Have a Jelly Baby."

Everything had been placed on the wide, traditional Japanese table in the dining room; Mayu had been finishing homework, thought she volunteered to move when the food was being brought out. The last time that she had tried to do math homework during dinner resulted in a gyoza falling onto the paper, leaving an unneeded grease stain.

Once each and every dish was set out, Nana grinned in glee, "Everything smells so yummy! Thank you for the help, Mister Doctor." The younger Diclonius was worlds different from Lucy: She was soft, happy, care free, and bright eyed. There as absolutely no difference between her, and a normal human girl her age, aside from the pink hair and horns.

Upon noticing the candy that had been summoned up, a finger is brought to Nana's lips, "Sugar before dinner …?! Shhh, don't tell the others," she whispers, taking the Jelly Baby and placing it in her mouth, chewing it up and swallowing with a satisfying 'gulp'. "Aaahhhhhh~! It's so sweet, it's so tasty! Thank you!"

The smallest things brought happiness and joy to Nana's fragile little heart, swelling with hope for the world— for the longest time, she had tried to get Lucy to see from her point of view, but alas, failed. Her arms and legs were the sacrifice for that attempt, in the end.

Speaking of Lucy— the elder Diclonius made another appearance; she had been wandering the gardens for a bit, checking to see if the sakura blossoms had grown any larger since her last visit. Stepping indoors, dahlia eyes blink.

"…This is quite a large amount of food…"

The Doctor turned to Lucy and scratched the tip of his nose. "Eh..." He chuckled. "Yes, it is _quite_ a large amount. I never really expected for this little girl to make such a big feast. But fortunately, we set it right, at least."

He then squat down, and examined Nana. She looked almost like Lucy, when it came to the hair and, of course, the horns. But, her eyes... Her eyes seemed full of life. Moreso than that of Lucy's, which seemed very unusual. Being that Lucy was the only Diclonius the Doctor had ever encountered, he hadn't expected to really come across _another_ one.

"Very interesting..." He said. "Compared to Lucy, you don't seem to radiate any violent tendencies." He tilted his head to Nana. "You _are_ a Diclonius, yes?" With a bemused look, Nana had nodded. "Taking that into account, most Diclonii would be violent, if Lucy was any indication..." He brought a finger to his chin. "Being that there are more, there _should_ have been at least a limb or two scattered about with the walls painted a new color. Tell me, Nana. And, please don't take this the wrong way, but have you had any violent outbursts before?"

The eldest took her own spot at the table, sitting upon her knees, hands placed in her lap in the polite style that was practice across the region. Dusky eyes examine the Doctor's interest and curiosity towards Nana; it was inevitable that he would find another Diclonius fascinating, especially one as benevolent as the young Silpelit.

Nana allots a gentle sigh, smiling in a relaxed content now that all of the food had been finished and set, "Yes sir, I-I am a Diclonius, not like Lucy though— nothing like Lucy-sama! Papa said that I'm a good girl. Y-You see sir, I have never had a chance to be violent…! I grew up in a facility, and the only reason that I'm walking around here now, is because Papa ask me to help him with something…" The young girl wished not to bring up the fact that the only time she was forced to be violent, was due to the fight with the older Diclonius.

Giggling, the little Silpelit poked her fingers together, "I don't like hurting people, even though all those scientists and soldiers told me that our kind would never get along with humans— I've made three whole friends! Isn't that great?" Nana's sunny disposition appeared to be a permanent, constant mood, "If I killed a whole bunch of people, I wouldn't be able to be their friend."

The Doctor shook his head, and flashed a toothy grin. "No, you wouldn't, if you did. That's great that you have friends." He said, patting Nana on the head. "I think that that is very wonderful. That makes me happy that there are Diclonii out there that don't exist merely for murderous intent."

He then got up, and sat on his knees next to Lucy at the table. The Time Lord grinned at Lucy. "I rather like Nana, Lucy." He said. "She's a very sweet girl, don't you agree?"

Lucy stares at Nana, raising both brows before speaking plainly, "Yes… We are on much better terms than how we once were."

The little Silpelit nodded a few times, reaching and poking at the upper part of her arm— upon closer inspection, there was a fine line circling the arm perfectly; Without hesitation, Nana tugged on her arm, and with a soft 'click' sound, the prosthetic was pulled off.

"Lucy-sama really didn't like me… We got into a bad fight, but, I forgave her," Nana admitted.

The Doctor's eyes widened. Nana was wearing prosthetics? How did she ever get those? An accident? Was she born with it? Or...

Wait... an accident... Did Lucy and Nana...?

"...Oh, no." The Doctor said worryingly. "Your arms?"

Nana nodded.

"...And your legs...?"

"Mmhm" Nana said. "She didn't like me at first. That's why I don't have arms or legs."

With a saddened look, he gazed down, and then glanced at the elder Diclonius. "...Why, Lucy?"

Lucy's back stiffened, immediately finding herself uncomfortable with the situation— blast, she knew that this situation would eventually be brought up into conversation! Yes— she could recall that gruesome fight clear as day.

* * *

"_Your suffering. Does it hurt yet?_"

"**How about now?**"

"_Don't worry, I'll put you out of your _**misery**_…_"

* * *

Just as the elder Diclonius was prepared to stand and leave the room, Nana frantically waves her hands, "N-No! No no no, don't be mad at her, it isn't all her fault, it's mine too!"

Leaning back with a sad pout, the Silpelit gave Lucy a look, just to make sure that she would not leave— not again.

"You see, I was sent to bring her back home, and she didn't want to, so the both of us started fighting— Lucy-sama was prepared to kill me back there," her voice remained soft, "… But I learned to forgive her! Had I completed the mission that Papa gave me, I woulda been put back into that cage and forgotten! Instead, I get to walk around the human world and eat crepes!"

Lucy's eyes never left Nana, unsure how to feel about that comment; Nana was not upset at her anymore? —-It was surprising, seeing that she had torn the child's limbs off, prepared to leave her to die.

The Doctor listened as Nana told what had happened. "You're very strong emotionally, Nana." He said. "Most people I had come across would still hold vengeance in their heart for that." He then put a hand on Lucy's shoulder. "I think you also misunderstand, Nana. I'm not mad at Lucy." He looked at her in the eyes. "I never was. It was... she never really told me about this. And..." His voice almost cracked, before looking to Nana and clearing his throat. "Hearing about a child going through that can have quite an effect on you."

Images of the three dead children from his first meeting with Lucy flashed in his mind.

Dabbing the duct of his eyes with his thumb, he cleared his throat again. "That shows great strength and fortitude, Nana." He said, smiling. "I'm happy that you've forgiven Lucy, even for something like that."

Nana had mentioned that her 'Papa' would lock her in a cage if she didn't bring Lucy back. Bring her back where? And who was this 'Papa'? Those would be questions for another time, he supposed.

He brought an arm around the Diclonius and brought her closer. "But I think you'll be proud to hear that Lucy has truly been changing for the better. And I can say that in true confidence."

Lucy chose not to bring her voice into this— she felt that if she were to make any sort of comment, it would be malicious or something not meant to be mentioned. Instead, she sat quietly, listening to the conversation between the Timelord and Silpelit.

_'Don't you know? The more that little insect speaks, the more likely you will be looked upon with ill eyes. Nana is a good girl… isn't she? Yes. Nana behaves well. Everybody loves her. And nobody loves you, and never will. Don't you think it would be wise to kill her before she spoils your image?_

_ Even though, _

_ you already have done that on your own.'_

Becoming lost once more in her thoughts, eyes glazed over, not paying attention to either of them at this point, though Nana continued to talk on and on.

"Really…? Lucy-sama has changed?" The child spoke as if she did not believe a thing that the Timelord had mentioned— skeptical, of course, towards the Queen deciding not to cause any more harm. That was impossible, wasn't it?

"Are you sure—-"

Her sentence was cut off at the sound of the inn's gate opening, chattering audible.

"At least you didn't drop anything this time," a female voice sighs, softly scolding her company.

"Come on Yuka, I'm not THAT clumsy."

Mayu steps into the room, speaking up, "Kouta and Yuka are home, is the table set with everything?"

_K-Kouta…?!_

Immediately, the elder Diclonius stands to her feet, automatically panicking before anything even happened. Only seconds later, Kouta would file into the room, "Hello everybody— …?!" The man stopped, dropping the bag of groceries onto the floor, dumbfounded and surprised.

'_She's back…_'

"_Nyu!_" Kouta rushes forward, taking no precautions towards the fact that the horned one could kill him at any moment. Hands grab her shoulders, speaking up again, "Y-You're back? What are you doing here?! I thought you had left for good!" His voice was not of scolding nature, but a mix of absolute taken aback nature, not even bothering to realize that there was a second guest in the house.

_ Even though,_

_ you already have done that on your own.'_

"_A-AAUGGHH!_" The Diclonius screams, hands swinging up and grabbing both sides of her head, keeling forward against the shocked Kouta, knees growing week.

'_No. Not here. Not NOW! I can't grow dumb NOW…!_'

The Doctor was just about to greet the boy before Lucy started shouting in pain. His eyes bulged out in alert.

"Lucy! Lucy, are you okay!?"

Something was wrong! Was it the Instinct!?

"Oh no!" The Doctor said. "Oh no, not now! Lucy!" The Time Lord shot up from the table. "Lucy!"

Lucy could only scream in pain, as her head began to throb mercilessly.

"_AhhhhhAHHHHGGGH!_"


	3. Part Three

**DOCTOR WHO AND THE DICLONIUS**

By Isaac "Izzy" Raimi and Mary Vitals

* * *

**PART THREE**

The cries of Lucy were deafening to the Doctor's ears. The moment Lucy doubled over in pain, he acted on pure instinct. Without a second thought, the Doctor shoved the boy aside. "Stand aside, young man!"

_BAM!_

Falling to the ground, Kouta nearly hit his head on the wall, narrowly missing it as Yuka rushed in, "What's wrong?! What's going on?!" Gasping, not only did she immediately notice the giant of a man standing in their dining room, but the horned girl that he was holding.

With his hands on the Diclonius's shoulders, the Doctor tried to shake her out of her mental episode. "Lucy! Lucy, it's the Doctor! It's me! Snap out of it!" She buried her head into the Doctor's shoulder, screaming her lungs out, and gripping the sides of her head. "Lucy, look at me! Lucy! You can't let that voice control you! You've _got_ to snap out of it! Concentrate!"

"What's this guy doing here with Nyu?!" Yuka asked, almost hysteric.

Lucy then fell to her knees, but the Doctor still kept himself in front of her. "Lucy, you have to concentrate! Concentrate on _anything!_ Say the alphabet backwards!"

Lucy still continued screaming.

"Concentrate, Lucy! Say it with me! Z! Y! X! W! V! U! T! S! R! Q! Come on, Lucy! Fight it!"

_'C-Can't—- I c-can't—- T-talk to… Kouta…!_

_I can't do this…_

_I cannot achieve atonement…_

_He always…_

_Liked…_

_Her…_

_Better…'_

Lucy's voice trembled as she fought to listen to the Time Lord's orders, not wishing to surrender control of her body, not after all of this progress! Gritting her teeth and speaking aloud, the Diclonius struggled.

"Z!…Y!…X!… W!…V…U …T…"

And then silence, the hands covering Lucy's face slowly coming down, her body's trembling ceasing; wide eyes glance up, mouth agape, a far-too childish innocence appearing on the face of the Diclonius, the once dusky hues now a bright cherry red.

"…_Nyu_…?"

Standing up quickly, she looked around, automatically noticing her old friend on the ground. "Kouta! Kouta! KOUTA KOUTA!" She rushes forward, forgetting the Doctor, grabbing onto the boy and squeezing him tight as she cried, "**Koouuutaaaaa!**"

Nana gasps, "Lucy-sama… She changed again!"

Kouta sits up, almost relieved to hear that soft, happy voice once more, wrapping his arms around the docile girl. "I-It's okay, I'm alright, don't worry."

"Who are you?!" Yuka goes over to the Doctor, a little upset by the chaos going on, "And how do you know Nyu?!"

Shock. That was the best thing to describe the Doctor's current emotional state. He had thought Lucy had calmed down, yet when she uttered the word "Nyu", it threw him off. As the Diclonius ran to the boy named Kouta to hug him, he was lost from the girl's harsh tone with him.

Nyu. That was what Mayu had called Lucy when they had arrived. Was _this_ what she was talking about?

Did they not even know the Lucy the Doctor had met?

The Doctor only gazed at the girl that he assumed was Yuka and displayed a look of utter shock and distress.

It seemed that Lucy, his friend, had retreated. And the Doctor witnessed her disappearance.

"I..." The Doctor couldn't even speak. How could he? Lucy had changed. And this girl was expecting him to answer how he knew her?

He doesn't even know _Nyu!_

The Doctor could only do the sensible thing and walk away from Yuka, out of the room.

"...Maybe coming here was a mistake." He said to himself softly.

"H-Hey! Don't just walk out of here—-!" Yuka flailed her arms in a comedic fashion, trying to go after the escaping Time Lord, but would be stopped dead in her tracks as Nyu noticed his attempt at leaving. Letting go of Kouta, the now childish killer dashes after, leaping forward and grabbing onto the Doctor as if she were a koala, clinging to his back.

"No! Don't leave! Don't leave!" Nyu cried out, chanting that phrase over and over and over again— it appeared, that despite there being a different personality overcoming the Diclonius, there remained a part of her that knew who the scarved man was. "Don't leave…!"

A tiny sniffle as large, lost eyes stared, letting go and landing on the ground. Both hands were held to her chest in a ball, a faint pout present on her lips. A classic case of the puppy eyes.

"Nyyuuuu… Don't leave Nyu! Papa! Don't leave Nyu!"

Dumbfounded, both Yuka and Kouta spoke up in unison.

"_Papa?!_"

What was once shock, was now surprise that had taken the Doctor's emotions by storm. Dear goodness, it's been a whirlwind of emotions.

Why was this girl clinging to the Doctor? This girl was different. How did she know the Doctor as well?

Was this a classic case of Multiple Personalities?

He turned around when he saw the girl formerly known as Lucy was pouting on the ground, looking at the Doctor with bright, red eyes. More full of life than those of Lucy's.

A stark contrast to the woman that the Doctor took under his wing.

"_Don't leave Nyu! Papa! Don't leave Nyu!"_

The Doctor blinked at the girl.

"...Papa?"

* * *

"_Grandfather!"_

* * *

In the back of his mind, he could almost hear Susan's voice. His own granddaughter. The Doctor hadn't been called a parent's name since his first incarnation. It brought forth a wave of nostalgia to the Time Lord.

The Doctor gathered the ends of his scarf and bunched them up as he squat down in front of her. "No. I'm not your Papa, my dear. I'm the Doctor." He put a hand on her shoulder. "Where is Lucy? Are you the one they are referring to?"

He looked into her cherry-red eyes. "Are you Nyu?"

"It's just what I thought," Nana spoke quietly, "Lucy-sama's personalities are still fractured… That girl that you're talking to! That isn't Lucy!" Her hand reached out, stepping forward, "Something must have triggered the other one to come out… D-Don't worry though, Mister Doctor!" Little hands tug on the sleeve of her coat, "Lucy just must have gotten stressed or scared! She'll be back out later."

Bewildered by the whole scenario, Kouta stepped in, rubbing the back of his neck, just as confused as everybody else, "Well… It's better than having my arm ripped off," he sighs, looking over at the much taller man, "If you're not Nyu's father, then who are you?"

Yuka nodded her head, "How did you manage to get all the way here transporting Nyu? She's been gone for months, none of us expected her to come back— Sorry if we all seemed brash, we're just all as shocked as you are right now."

Mayu nods, not too sure what to add into the entire situation— but as for Nyu, she pouted even more, not taking to the Time Lord correcting her too well, "Why can't I call you Papa? You take care of Nyu— Isn't that what Papa does?"

Deep in the crypt of her mind, Lucy whispered to her softer personality.

_Try not… To over act… Don't startle him…_

_The Diclonius felt ashamed for running and hiding so easily, looking through Nyu's eyes as she interacted with everybody so easily. It pained her, leaving her envious towards the innocent one._

_Everybody loved Nyu—…! Her Instinct was correct. Even though all of them knew who she really was, they all addressed the horned one as 'Nyu'._

Nodding exactly three times, the girl known as Nyu stepped back softly, "Yes, I'm Nyu! Lucy is still here! She's just… Scared. But Nyu will take good care of us for now!" She smiles, simple and content.

The Doctor nodded. "Okay. That explains quite a few things then." Which it did, as Nana's explanation confirmed the Doctor's suspicions. Multiples were difficult to deal with, at least the extreme ones, if the Instinct's voice was any indication. If this is a temporary thing, then he would at least get to know this inhabitant of Lucy's mind.

That is, unless, Lucy didn't forget the main reason why they were there in the first place.

He then smiled, and pat Nyu on the head. "Yes, Nyu. That is what a Papa does. But you must understand. I'm not your Papa. I'm a friend of Lucy's. But... if she can truly hear me in there, please have her understand. I've never seen you before. This is all very new to me." He held a hand out to Nyu. "Come on. I won't leave. Let's get you off of the floor."

Nyu took his hand and stood up, as the Doctor brushed himself off. He looked at Kouta. "Sorry about that, my friend. I tend to leap into danger when things like this happen. I should introduce myself." He took his hand and shook. "I'm called the Doctor. You must be Kouta." He then went over shook the woman's hand. "And you must be Yuka. Pleasure to meet the both of you." He looked at Nyu, who smiled and walked over to the Doctor, hugging his arm.

"As for how we got here... That's a bit of a long story. I don't suppose you noticed a blue Police Box to the side of this inn, did you?"

"_Nyuu~!_" Smiling happily, the benevolent one was relieved to hear that nobody was leaving; despite having very little presence within the body these days, Nyu still had a full range of emotions— due to the owner of the body having abandonment issues as a child, Nyu felt them, but magnified to the point where she dreaded the idea of anybody leaving abruptly. "Nyu is happy! But I'm hungry too…" The girl pouted once more, both hands pressing against her stomach, a quiet growl coming forth.

Yuka sighed with a smile, shaking her head, "I assumed it was installed by the city, for whatever reason— but come on! Let's all sit down, we can talk about all of this over dinner. I'm sure Nana wouldn't want all of this food to get cold. Here, sir, there's room for one more!"

The esteemed mother of the house motioned for him to take a seat on his knees at the end of the table, nudged between Nyu and Mayu, just across from Kouta and Nana. Yuka sat at the end, breaking her chopsticks apart. Simultaneously, the family of misfits spoke.

"Thank you for the food!"

Nana immediately reaches out with her chopsticks, pulling somen noodles and gyoza onto her plate; she was always a big eater.

Kouta was unsure of this entire situation: not only had an old flame shown up out of nowhere, one who swore she would never return again— but she brought along this strange, tall man wearing peculiar clothing, which did not exactly fit their time period, nor style of fashion.

"Oh, how rude—" Yuka mumbles, glancing over at Kouta with a flat expression, "we didn't even introduce ourselves! My name is Yuka— ahem."

After spacing out with his chopsticks, Kouta lifts his head, sheepishly laughing to himself, "Sorry about that,right— I'm Kouta."

The Doctor bowed. He shouldn't have forgotten _that_ custom of Japanese greeting. "Pleasure!" The Doctor said, smiling. He then prepared his plate and broke his own chopsticks apart. "It's been a while since I've eaten with these..." He then placed them in his hand and started clacking them, as if he were an expert. "But I believe I can handle this!" He flashed a toothy grin.

He then ate a bit of his food, before sighing in content. "Dear goodness, Nana! This is absolutely delicious." He turned to Kouta. "Do you know that she had prepared as if she were preparing for a whole feast? The poor girl was running about in a jumble, but I was able to step in and help without any trouble!"

He noticed Nana smile at his compliment. Maybe this might not be so bad. If only Lucy were here, though...

"Nana sure does love to help in the kitchen. She and Mayu are actually the ones who do the most cooking— heh, I'm not all that great in there, especially with knives," Kouta mentioned sheepishly, dipping his chopsticks into the wasabi paste, putting it all over his chicken.

It was Japanese custom to allow guests to eat at the table, no matter how well you know them, or whether or not they were questionable. Simply, it was proper. By good fortune, both Kouta and Yuka grew up with families who stresses these sorts of traditions on their children, desiring them to grow up proper.

"I-I'm glad you're enjoying yourself!" Nana's eyes sparkled, taking a sip of her tea.

Eventually, though, Yuka would bring up the elephant in the room.

"…Tell us again, how you know Nyu?"

The Doctor closed his eyes and shook his head. Nyu. That was going to bother him, wasn't it? He's been so used to Lucy, that this Nyu will _certainly_ take some getting used to.

Then again, Ninety percent of the people in this household would most likely not be used to Lucy, given Lucy's prior history with them.

The Time Lord sighed. "Yes. I figured that question would come up." He set his chopsticks down, and weaved his hands together.

"I should let you know, I'm not used to this persona that's taken over her mind. The person that I had met was her dominant personality. Lucy."

He looked at Nyu, who was laughing with Mayu. "How we met... Wasn't really under the best circumstances."

"Nyyyuuuuu…" Her repetitive habit of mewling her own name was something that everybody had become accustom of. At first, when the horned one first came to live with Kouta and Yuka, she had the motor skills and speaking patterns of a toddler, and could barely communicate with anybody. After a few months, however, Nyu began to pick up on a few words and phrases, and could easily carry a conversation now.

But habits die hard, and she held onto her catchphrase.

Kouta felt his stomach tie into a knot when the Doctor mentioned that his meeting with Lucy was not under a desirable circumstances… He must have witnessed her killing capabilities. Feeling a pinch in the back of his head, Kouta sighs, not too pleased by this.

"I'm sorry you … Had to see whatever happened. She didn't HURT you, did she?" Kouta apologized on the behalf of his friend— No, no, not friend, old acquaintance. There was absolutely no way that he could ever accept the girl that he once knew as a friend at this point.

The Doctor shook his head. "She didn't hurt me, surprisingly." He said. "However, there's no doubt in my mind that she would have. But…" He closed his eyes, after taking another sip of his miso soup. "Seeing someone cut down in front of you in an instant can certainly drive you into an emotional frenzy."

The Doctor began to recount to Kouta his first encounter, mentioning the three dead children he happened upon, before coming upon the bisected police officer, and the verbal exchange between the Diclonius and the Time Lord.

* * *

_"Had they still been alive, you would not care whether or not they lived or died tomorrow. You would not know. So why do you even care…"_

_"Those children were just acting their age! And you took a prospective life away from them!"_

_"You… You have the outright AUDACITY to tell me… THAT I DON'T EVEN CARE!?"_

* * *

He opened his eyes, looking at Kouta. "I don't think anyone had ever put her in her place like I did. She certainly would have killed me, but I think I struck a chord with her. Afterward, I showed her what life was all about, and that it can be treasured. She had been with me ever since."

He then sullenly looked to Nyu, still wishing that Lucy was eating dinner instead of the current inhabitant. "And just when we _finally_ made progress… this happens." He sighed.

With a disappointed frown, Kouta shook his head, "I'm not surprised to hear about this at all. When Nyu first showed up here, we had absolutely no idea where she came from, what she was, or where her family might have been. Turns out, after a change of pace in events, that I knew her in the past… She's done horrible things before, and she's very dangerous. Nyu ran away from here a few months ago after an argument— I figured that she would be getting into trouble again," the boy sighs, nudging his chicken with the chopsticks in hand.

His hands trembled, sighing sharply as he recalled that fateful evening, so many years ago.

* * *

_"WHY?! WHY— WHY DID YOU DO THIS…?! I t-thought we were friends…!"_

"_…What are you talking about? It is because you are my friend, that I did not kill you…_"

* * *

Nyu, this entire time, is smiling, carrying on with the two younger children as the other adults spoke— it was shocking, chilling, that only moments before, that body was being controlled by a cold hearted murderer.

"Nyu wasn't always around, apparently," Kouta speaks up once more, "she told me— Lucy, she told me that Nyu showed up when she was shot in the head by some soldier… Something about escaping somewhere, I cannot remember the details."

The Doctor could feel a chill down his spine when Kouta mentioned that he knew Lucy from his past, the very event that he saw in Lucy's mind before running into the Instinct. The moment where she had killed his younger sister and his father.

Now would _probably_ not be the best time to bring that moment up.

When Kouta had mentioned that Nyu had showed after being shot in the head, he slightly understood. "Hmmm… An alter brought forth from trauma to the brain." He said out loud. "Wonder what could have happened? Who would have shot her?"

Lucy had escaped somewhere? Where from? He should have found that from when he delved into her mind. Was she keeping that from him?

Probably for the better. Given the fact she was an entirely different race, there is no telling what that would mean if she were shot.

There was too much negativity. The Doctor _needed_ to change the subject. Fast.

Flashing a toothy grin, he turned to Kouta as if nothing had happened. "But enough of that talk." He said jovially. "Why don't you tell me a bit about yourself?" The Doctor glanced at the woman of the house. "You too, Yuka. I'm interested about the both of you."

Before anybody else spoke up, Mayu politely nudged the Doctor, "Could you pass the rice over here? I want seconds," she cooed softly, her plate already clear of everything that had been piled on. The young one must have been starving, due to keeping up with house work and school assignments.

Smiling, Yuka beams, "I guess I'll give Kouta a break from the spotlight," she chuckles, placing her chopsticks down in order to speak without shoving food in her face, "both of us attend the local university, myself for education. I plan on being a teacher for younger kids! I don't think I could handle anything above junior high," the brunette admits with an amused expression, "I've lived here in Kamakura my entire life— Kouta would come here and visit during the summers! He's from Satoyama, actually. Satoyama, right?"

Looking up with a nod, the boy confirmed her comment.

"Yeah, I moved here for school two years ago. So far everything has run smooth— well, as smooth as you can when living with three other girls."

"HEY!" Yuka huffs, rolling her eyes. This resulted in a chuckle from Nana, who was quietly listening to everything.

The Doctor laughed as he passed the rice to Mayu. "Believe me, Kouta. I know exactly what you mean, if you are the only man in the house." He then stuck his hand toward Yuka. "I'm meaning no disrespect, my dear." He then brought his bowl of udon and started to slurp up the noodles in a contented fashion.

"None taken," Yuka smiles calmly, much different from her bossy attitude that was often flexed around the house when others were lollygagging and ignoring their chores.

"I was actually in Satoyama not too long ago, Kouta. Beautiful place, that is. Wonderful countryside, and brilliant scenery, I dare say."

Of course, that was the time he had met Lucy, too. One detail at a time. No need to have a dark atmosphere. Lucy wouldn't want it from the Doctor.

"This is my first time visiting Kamakura, Yuka." He said, turning to her. "I've only been to the bigger cities of Japan during a few of my holidays. What's it like here?"

"There's still a lot of traditional values still held around here, and not much westernization, like you might find in Tokyo. We have a lot of beaches, it's really a vacation spot for the people from the bigger cities! There are also a lot of Shinto shrines, so you'll see spiritual people from time to time," Yuka spoke fluidly, taking a sip of her tea afterwards, "I've been to Kyoto before, along with Chiba and Kobe, I personally don't like the city environment."

Nana's cherry eyes blinked, raising her hand in order to gain attention, "I love it here! Especially in the winter! It gets cold, but snow on the beach is really pretty! I didn't even know what snow was until I came here!"

The Doctor smiled. "I'm sure that it's lovely during winter, Nana." he said. "I'm certainly looking forward to spending a bit of time here." He then pointed his chopsticks to Yuka. "You know, I've been to Kobe once before, but not Chiba. The urban areas of this country are always very interesting, if a bit crowded. Sometimes I wonder how people can even fit their cars on the roads."

He then glanced at Mayu, by his side. "What about you, Mayu?" He asked. "I'd certainly like to get to know you. Do tell me about yourself."

"… _O-Oh_," Mayu hesitated, scratching her cheek, "no no, my life is way too boring, there isn't much to talk about," she insists with a nod, taking a bite of her chicken teriyaki. "I just go to school and live here." With an awkward little chuckle, the girl tried to push the attention on her friend, "Nana, did you find any new bugs today? I remember you were talking about collecting them earlier."

With a proud grin, Nana immediately stands up, "Excuse me! I'll be right back!"

Moments later, the little silpelit returned with a jar holding an extremely colorful spider, "I named her Yaya-chan!"

—Of course, Nyu noticed the spider, her eyes bugging out and sinking closer to the table, not enjoying the presence of the arachnid.

"…Nana, didn't way say no bugs at the dinner table?" Yuka spoke up, leaving the little horned one blushing and awkward.

The Doctor couldn't help but laugh. This was certainly an interesting household to live in. He couldn't even remember having a decent family meal. This was quite nice, reminding him of the meals he had with Susan, the two of them sharing laughs and stories from their days on Gallifrey before they left.

He would never say, but he missed times like this.

Enjoying the meal and the laughs, the Doctor continued to eat his meal, sharing those same laughs with everyone.

If only Lucy were here...

Nana listened to Yuka's request, going and putting her arachnid friend with the rest of her collection in her room, returning to the dinner table with haste.

"By the way, I don't think we ever caught your name sir!" Yuka mentioned, looking over at their wide-grinning guest. Of course, once again, the little silpelit had to speak up.

"His name is Mister Doctor!" With a grin of confidence, Nana was happy to know the answer to something before everybody else. Usually it happened to be the other way around with the closeted child.

Kouta chuckles, "So you're a doctor? What sort of doctor?"

The Time Lord turned to Kouta. "Just about anything, really, my young friend. Though, you see, I'm not just _a_ Doctor, but rather _the_ Doctor."

He then flashed a toothy grin. "The definite article, you might say.

He then held a hand up to Nana. "Although I appreciate the polite prefix, that won't be necessary. Just 'Doctor' will do, Nana."

Neither Kouta nor Yuka understood what he meant by 'the' Doctor; perhaps he was an absolute expert in his field. No matter, that was not all that important, and was something that could be brought up later.

Nibbling on the end of her chopsticks, Yuka spoke up once more, "And that is what you go by? Huh… Well then… Well! It's good to hear that you and Nyu-chan have gotten along without too many complications—"

Kouta interrupts, leaning forward somewhat, "—Though, why did you bring her here? Did she want to come back for a reason?"

A reason... Oh yes. And that reason would not be good enough to explain in this sort of environment. Perhaps the Doctor should let the boy down gently first. He'll find out soon enough. Best to ease him into letting him know that it was _Lucy_, not Nyu, who wanted to return.

"Erhm... Yes. She did, actually." He said, trying to find a good explanation until he found a proper time to tell him. "She mainly just wanted to see you all, and pay you a visit. She was rather curious as to how well you all have been doing." He then brought a hand to his chest. "And I decided to tag along. She spoke highly of you all, and I'm grateful to have finally met you."

The Doctor then spotted Nyu playing with her chopsticks, making what looked like bunny ears with them on her head, entertaining Mayu and Nana. "Nyu, do try not to play with your chopsticks." He said. "I would hate it if a hair got tangled in those somehow."

"That's very considerate of her," Kouta smiled with relief. His greatest fear was that the Diclonius would return with a billowing rage, prepared to strike the entire family to the ground without a second thought. But it looked like this entire encounter was positive, and not negative like so many before. "The two of you must be close friends, especially if she trusted you to come along the way."

Blinking her large eyes, little Nyu turned her head, lips pursed in surprise from the light scolding. Immediately, she drops the chopsticks, putting them aside to be forgotten.

"Nyu sorry!' The girl speaks up, boasting her grin.

The Doctor solumnly nodded. "Indeed. Never thought we would be close friends, but she and I have had some rather eye-opening experiences in the short time we knew each other." He then smiled to Kouta and Yuka. "I'm very happy you consider me a guest in this house, too. It's been quite a while since I had a proper Japanese meal."

The mother of the house chuckles to herself, "I had a hunch that you were not from the area— your Japanese is very good, though! Better than some of the native speakers, even. You'd be surprised how many times we've come across tourists who have tried to base all of these Japanese skill from phrase books, or imported cartoons."

Kouta nodded, "We're happy to have you. How about you tell us a bit about yourself, Doctor? It seems that you get along with Mayu and Nana. Do you have younger siblings?"

The Doctor chuckled at their notion of him speaking perfect Japanese. More or less, he was. But to his own ears, Kouta, Yuka, even Lucy spoke to him in plain English. This was one of the perks of the TARDIS translation circuits. If one were to step into the TARDIS, every language becomes translated to their own tongue. If you spoke basic English and spoke to a foreign language to that, one spoke English to you, and you spoke in the opposite person's language.

The same went for alien languages from across the galaxy, as well. Granted, it doesn't come in handy if there is a mute race, or if that race was intent on killing the Doctor.

The Time Lord shook his head to Kouta's question. "No, actually." He said. "I don't have any siblings of my own. I actually just rather like children." He looked at Mayu and Nana. "And, dare I say that these are the most adorable children I've come across thus far. Mayu's dog, Wanta, is wonderful as well."

"Wanta is a great dog!" Mayu spoke up, "Him and I have been best friends for a long time, he's really loyal. He can even do tricks! I'll show you after we are all finished eating."

Upon hearing this, of course Nana would want her hand in this! "You better let me help, I taught him a few of those tricks," she chirps fondly. Even Nyu enjoyed the presence of the dog, much due to her love of animals and his resemblance to the puppy she once loved in the past.

"Hahahah, that's great to hear that you feel that way! Mayu and Nana have been living with us for about a year now, and they've been nothing but cooperative," Yuka praised, taking a dainty sip of chai tea. "Huuuhhh, are you well traveled, sir?"

The Doctor's eyes lit up, while he sipped his tea. Putting the glass down, he flashed a toothy grin to Yuka. "Oh, most certainly, Yuka!" He said. "I've been just about everywhere, I had lost count of what places I have been to."

Taking an enthusiastic bite from a takoyaki ball, he pointed to Yuka. "In fact, I'm merely a traveler during the ample time that I possess, which is quite a lot. So I've seen my fair share of sights. Though I always enjoy being in England. That's where I've been most of the time. Oftentimes, I tend to wind up in France for a holiday, or even Italy."

"Wow! You really are well traveled! I guess that's expected of a doctor— you must have generous vacation periods, and plenty of funds to take those trips," the motherly woman mentioned, sighing as a hand pressed into her stomach, "gee… I ate more than I thought I did. Nana, is this ALL of the food that you made?"

"Uhhhh—-" a hand reaches up to scratch her cheek in thought, "there are still some leftovers in the refrigerator," she confesses.

"Huhhhmmm, I guess we'll have plenty to eat for the next few days. Doctor! Care to help me box up some of this food? Kouta and the girls need to finish the rest of their chores this evening, and I could use the extra help."

The Doctor widened his eyes as he finished off the last of his plate. "Dear goodness, you're right. Nana certainly loves to cook in surplus doesn't she?"

He nodded as Yuka brought some bento boxes to store some of the leftovers. "I'll be happy to box this up for you! You've got enough to feed an entire army, it seems."

"I guess it's good for when we have a school night and everybody is coming home late. Heating up leftovers is convenient," Yuka mentioned, standing and collecting her own dishes to be washed. This was Mayu's signal to go around and gather the rest, since she was on dish duty. It was the most dreaded chore to be given, due to the fact there were so many people living under one roof. The stacks could be staggering!

Returning to the dining room, Yuka picked up a few of the serving dishes, taking multiple trips in order not to drop anything on the floor. Washing the wood was already obnoxious, and had been done that morning. Kouta would have a cow if he had to repeat it.

Boxing up the rest of the food, the Doctor carried the lot over to the kitchen and stuffed them in the refrigerator. Taking good care to keep things organized, he stacked them neatly, not cluttering up the things that inhabited the box.

Brushing his hands together, he closed the door to the refrigerator. Pattering into the room was Wanta, with a small bark. With a toothy grin, he picked up Wanta, and rubbed his nose with the dog's. "Haha!" The Doctor laughed. "Did you come to say hello to me?" He asked as he set the dog down, petting Wanta with reckless abandon.

The little canine scampers about, slipping around on his petite paws on the hardware flooring, all too excited about having a guest in the house— more people meant more attention for him! Rolling onto his back, Wanta barks, showing off what he could do.

"Hmh!" Yuka wipes her hands on her sides, placing them on her hips and looking around, "Guess that's finished! One less thing to do. Now we can focus on our actual chores! Doctor, there's a bucket just down the hall. If you fill it with water, you can help Nyu clean the windows."

The Doctor listened as he continued to watch Wanta. "Oh, that's fine. That's fine. I'll be off in a-"

He then stopped himself in mid sentence. The Time Lord's eyes widened. What did she just say?

"...clean... the windows?" He then stood up and looked at Yuka.

"Yuka, my dear..." he said, nervously chuckling. "We all just had a rather large meal courtesy of Nana. I appreciate being treated like a guest here, but..." He scratched the back of his head. "Can't we just have a sit down first? I mean, you and Kouta must be tired from University, surely you'd like to have some time for the food to digest."

An amused laugh!

"Funny! Hahah! Really, it isn't a big deal, once you get moving, you won't even notice it much," Yuka insisted, walking passed the Time Lord and down the hallway to fetch the bucket herself, and then back to the kitchen to fill it up with water and a bit of bleach, "if you sit down now, you'll get lethargic from all of that food! Everybody around here does their chores after dinner, and that includes you."

She really wasn't expecting him to _really_ wash the windows, was she? Here he was, 750 years old, a Time Lord from Gallifrey, in possession of a TARDIS, and has saved the galaxies more times than he could count.

And yet, Yuka was telling the Doctor, a being of all of those qualities... to do chores?

"...What was that laugh supposed to mean? You don't seriously expect me to-" Yuka then finished filling the bucket with water and bleach. "Yuka, can't I just play with Mayu and Nana? Surely Nana's been busy all day and-" Yuka brought the bucket over and attempted to hand it to the Doctor.

He pointed to the bucket. "What do you expect me to do with _that?_" He asked, almost bewildered.

"To clean! Surly you've done chores as a kid— just because you're a big important doctor now, doesn't mean that you can't pick up a rag and clean some fingerprints off of a window," she asserted, grabbing a bag of freshly cleaned towels, and tossing them in the Time Lord's direction, "Here, let me show you." Yuka nudges her shoulder, expecting the man to follow her outside to the windows near the front of the inn, placed sporadically around the perimeter.

Rolling her eyes, the mother hen waved her hand, "Mayu and Nana are doing their work too! Just like Kouta— and don't think that you'll get out of it by speeding through, 'cause if they're not clean, you're gonna do them again."

Happily whistling a tune, Nyu wandered by with a bag of dog food, going over to the dog house a few meters way, dumping a gracious amount of the bits into Wanta's food dish.

"Don't put too much in Nyu! The squirrels will eat it up!"

The Doctor's jaw dropped. "I know full well how to clean a blasted window!" He said. "But-...!" He raised his finger. "...Big and important? I'm only 750 years old! You make me sound as if I'm an old goat!" Yuka was walking outside with the bucket. The Doctor almost followed her, but stopped short.

Planting his back to the wall in a huff, he pulled out his yo-yo and started playing with it. "Big and important... 'clean some fingerprints off of a blasted window.' Does she even _know_ how many windows are around this place?" He asked to no one in particular, as he brought the yo-yo up and down. He took his hat out of his pocket and set it on top of his head, firmly planting it as if a child would angrily chomp down on a cookie.

He then looked at the towels that were tossed onto his shoulder. Rolling his eyes, he stuffed the towels in his pocket, the ends just hanging loose.

"Mhmhmhm! 750 years old. You've got a great imagination, sir. Nobody is too old to do chores! My grand mother is nearly seventy years old and insists on scrubbing her counters every day. Cleanliness is right next to pride!" Yuka preached, planting the bucket right next to the first window, turning her head only to find the scarved man pouting against the wall, hat shielding his face, playing with a damned yo-yo! As if he were a five year old!

Her expression flat, arms were crossed. Oh how Yuka did not enjoy the thought of being frank and rude with a guest! But, duty calls.

"Am I going to have to stand here to make sure that you actually do it?!" If she were a chimney, smoke would be billowing out of the top of her head. The mother hen was simply in a great amount of disbelief! Meanwhile, Nyu had come by with her own towels, happy to dip the fabric into the cleaning solution, ringing it out and going at it with the window.

This was starting to get on the Doctor's nerves. There was no other reason why he didn't want to carry out this task. He was fit, he was able, and it didn't involve running from a Dalek.

It was because _he simply didn't want to do it._

And with this 'mother hen' trying to get him to do this, it was as bad as the Brigadier trying to make him do things for UNIT. Even if it meant pulling him away from his TARDIS to clean the lab.

"I hope you don't mind, but I'm quite busy, Yuka." He said, trying to fling his yo-yo in a circle. "I'm trying to practice my double loops." He then performed a double loop, with the yo-yo coming back to his palm in a full circle.

**Unbelievable!**

Yuka marched right over, tugging the Doctor on his scarf as if it were a dumbwaiter bell. "Excuse me! You can put that yo-yo away, it will be there when you're finished with the windows!" Feeling a vein practically twitch out of her skull, the brunette raises her voice. "I am not going to leave until I see you pick up that towel and wash this unsightly dirt off!"

As all of this unfolded, Kouta peered outside, speaking to himself as he recalled each and everytime that his cousin had brought upon ungodly wrath towards his poor body due to his own reluctance towards chores.

"That man just doesn't know what's going to hit him, does he…"

The Doctor then withdrew his yo-yo into his palm after another loop, and inspected the window that Yuka pointed at. With a bit of inspection, he breathed onto a spot of the window, and wiped it with his scarf.

He turned to the Mother Hen. "There's barely even any dirt on this window." He said. "It almost seems that you cleaned it not too long ago." He planted his back against the same spot of the wall, noting Yuka's dumbfounded expression.

"And there are quite a few windows in this building. The fact you want me to clean a _clean_ window is absolutely absurd."

Unfortunately, what the Doctor said was false. There _was_ a bit of dirt on some of the windows, but he tried to pass it off much like someone claimed to take a shower, yet still possessed a foul stench.

Honestly, could _nothing_ shake this woman off of him?

"We clean the window every other day in summer! Do you know how hard it is to get them shiny and nice when it's two degrees below freezing outside? I will tell you—- it's impossible!"

Deciding that he should intervene, Kouta steps outside, speaking up, "Uhhmmmmm, Yukaaaa…"

He would be ignored as the woman continued on her tangent. With one hand on her hip, and the other pointing and nudging each and every time she said a word, "You. Are. The. Second. Most. Lazy. Person. I. Know!"

"Mmhhh—- Yuka," the laid back college boy places a hand on his cousin's shoulder, though, that would result in Yuka jumping out of surprise, turning and flipping her arms up, knocking poor Kouta right off of his feet.

"WHAT?!—-…O-Oh… Sorry about that, ahahahah…!" She chuckles awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head.

The Doctor locked gazes as Yuka got right to his face and started poking his chest with her finger.

"_You. Are. The. Second. Most. Lazy. Person. I. Know!"_

His eyes widened, especially when she had knocked Kouta off of his feet.

"Second most... lazy person?" His brow furrowed as his eyes were still bulged. "_Lazy!?"_ He adjusted his hat as he scrunched his nose.

"What do you mean, I'm lazy?" He asked. "I've done my fair share of work before. For far too long, too." He was referring to his past tenure in UNIT. "And, dare I say, you two exhaust yourselves quite a bit. When was the last time you ever just took a personal day? That's what I have been considering my visit here."

His nostrils flared. "And, dare I ask, who's the _first_ laziest person you know, eh? That wasn't a backhanded insult to someone you know here, is it? Because if it was, that was very rude."

"It is NOT a backhanded insult," Yuka huffed, folding both arms, "it was a straightforward one. I mention it every time Kouta thinks that he can just snooze right through class—"

Standing to his feet, the boy winces, rubbing his elbow, "For a tiny little woman you sure pack a punch."

The brunette smiles, patting her cousin on the head, "And I'm happy that you realize this. ANYWAYS," once again, her frustration is returned to the Time Lord, "just because you do hard work one day doesn't exempt you from hard work the very next! What if everybody went on overtime on Black Friday, and then decided not to show up to work every again?! We'd get nowhere!"

The Doctor stuck a finger in Yuka's face. "First of all, don't ever insult your cousin like that. I'm sure Kouta's a very bright young man, and Japanese standards of education can be rough, especially during your ages. Do mind your manners when you're talking about other people."

He then extended his middle finger, signifying a "two" sign in Yuka's face. "Second, household chores and retail work are two _entirely_ different things. For one, you're managing _people_." He jabbed a thumb into his chest. "And, I'll have you know, I haven't worked for merely _one day_! I've put in quite a bit of time during my last long time being in England, and I'm _quite_ glad to be away from that once and for all. So, young lady, I have payed my dues, and I don't necessarily care for your standoffish attitude."

He then flashed a toothy grin for Kouta. "I do beg your pardon, Kouta. Are you alright?"

"Oh I'm fine, I'm fine!" Kouta replied, waving both arms dismissively; his eyes were wide, stupefied by the fact that this stranger was standing up to Yuka with absolutely no fear. Even as a child, the brunette girl always posed as a formidable threat to those around her— it's as if she had some sort of bipolar disorder.

Either that, or Yuka simply did not enjoy people who didn't agree with her. And in their youth, Kouta had much more of a backbone and could cool that stubborn personality. Nowadays, he was much more laid back, and could honestly care less what his cousin did.

Folding her arms and grumbling, the mother hen shouts out loud, "_YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, AAUUHHHH!_"

Pausing her work, Nyu looks up from scrubbing her window, "Nyyuuuuu… Huuhhh," standing and going over to inspect.

"Nyu! Can you get your not-so-little friend here to help out?!"

The Time Lord flinched as he covered one of his ears with his finger. "For heaven's sake!" He shouted. "There was no need to shout, Yuka! And honestly, I really don't see what you are getting so flustered about."

Shaking his head from the screech, he pulled out his white bag of Jelly Babies. "Now, what say we all keep calm and have a Jelly Baby?"

"I'm shouting because you're acting like a five year old over cleaning some windows! The last time I've dealt with such stubbornness was when I babysat my colleague's daughter!" Yuka huffed and puffed (but did not blow the house down, luckily).

However, Kouta happily accepted a Jelly Baby, "Huh, these are actually pretty good— why haven't we bought these before, Yuka?"

"I'm glad that _someone_ is enjoying them, Kouta." The Doctor said, grinning at the boy. His look then snapped into a glare to Yuka. "And why in blazes do you think I'm acting like I'm five years old? A child of that age would be having a tantrum and whining nonstop. I've done no such thing." He said, pocketing the Jelly Babies. "I just feel it an unnecessary task, is all. I have not once thrown a tantrum and made a scene like that."

He stuck his finger up. "I would appreciate it if you didn't keep belittling me as if I'm a mere child. I have shown you nothing but respect, but yet _you_ are the one who is shouting and making a scene. No wonder everyone is doing something. You've got them all wound up tight!"

Despite the fact that Yuka did INDEED think that the Doctor was throwing a tantrum, her mind went right to his comment towards everyone being all wound up. Inhaling sharply, the brunette throws her arms up once more, annoyed with defeat.

"FINE! Don't work! It's obvious I won't get you to budge!" The brunette barked, clearly putting everything way out of proportion.

"You are further proving my point!" He said with his eyes widened. "YOU are the one who is throwing a tantrum, rather than handling this in a calm manner. Why in blazes should I have to obey someone who is belittling me, and even _her own cousin?_ Quite frankly, I don't even see why you are still shouting about to where the other neighbors can hear you."

He pointed to her again. "And also, you never _asked_ me to help you. You actually commanded me, and assumed that I would. One thing you should learn, Yuka, is that you should _never_ assume something. Sometimes, people can be uncooperative if you flat out command them to do something." Further proving his point inside of how the Brigadier always ordered the Doctor to do something. While he would refuse in some ways, if it pertained to an alien threat, he always helped out.

Although, he _did_ carry out Lethbridge-Stewart's orders once or twice, just to humor him. He did see that gung-ho fellow as a friend, after all.

"Now, can you please just calm down, Yuka? I can practically see the veins popping out of your neck."

Yuka was not one to admit defeat, nor swallow her own words. In fact, having somebody turn the argument backwards, inside out and completely changing the direction threw her completely off! While the Time Lord was correct about not being 'asked' to help out, but rather ordered, the mother hen still felt that flat out ignoring her comments was extremely rude.

Yet she was the impractical and rude one in this scenario.

As all of this commotion unfolded, Nana briskly steps up, whining and stepping in between the two as if to act out a dramatic stage command for a play, "Both of you stop scolding each other!"

The little silpelit's pout was mighty enough to break the heart of even the coldest criminals, her little fists pressed against her cheeks, "Yuka-san, why are you being so mean to our guest? I-I don't think yelling at him will get you anywhere—"

The mother hen replies with haste, "Because he's choosing to play with Yo-Yo's while the rest of us work! You know the rules, Nana, nobody gets to sleep here for free! Else we get lazy and lethargic!"

Of course the Doctor was invited to stay over! The Maple Inn had plenty of unoccupied rooms, and there would be plenty of space for him to relax and take some time for himself. But, as Yuka had mentioned, a large house gets dirty, and took many hands to keep clean and orderly.

The Doctor exhausted a large sigh through his nose. That tore it. He was _not_ going to get through to this woman. "Alright, then." He said. "If that's how you feel, then so be it. I'm _not_ going to do your blasted task, nor will I stand you talking to me like I'm some kind of lazy child. I've had it with your short-sightedness, Yuka!"

He walked past her back to the TARDIS. "If you won't allow me to stay, then I'll just sleep in this Police Box!" He shouted, grabbing the door handle.

"Sleep in a POLICE BOX?! You plan on resting while standing up? That's ridiculous!" Yuka marched right after him, staying within the stubbornness of her nature. Sighing, a hand reaches to pinch the bridge of her nose. Perhaps she should consider for behaving so brash?

No, nonsense! She was not over reacting! The man was! All the while, both Nyu and Nana watched everything unfold with big, childish, lost eyes, wondering whether or not they should step in and try to correct whatever wrong was going on.

"You'd be surprised. It's actually _just_ _my size!_" The Doctor retorted. "And the only one who is ridiculous here is you!" He then shoved the door open, turning to face the Mother Hen. "Now, good day to you!" He then walked in and slammed the door behind him.

* * *

The Doctor threw his hat down in frustration. "That insipid woman!" He shouted to no one in particular. "Who in blazes does she think she is, ordering me around like that!?"

* * *

Ten minutes would pass by before both of the horned girls spoke among themselves, figuring that they should try their best to fish the Doctor out of his big blue box, and fix his mood. Going to the kitchen, Nyu returned with a bag of brightly colored candies that Mayu had gotten at the market a few days ago, associating it with the Jelly Babies that were used to cheer everybody up. In her subconscious, it just felt right.

Nana and Nyu approached the police box, the silpelit reaching out and knocking on the door with her tiny little fist.

"Miste—! Oh, w-wait, not mister! Just Doctor! Come out, it's okay!" Nana chirped with concern, as the elder Diclonius rocked back and forth on her feet, holding the candy out.

* * *

The Doctor paced around the console room, still fuming at Yuka. "She honestly thought that being a mean spirited woman is going to get me to do anything? Who does she think she is?"

He then heard a tiny knock on the blue doors.

_"Miste—! Oh, w-wait, not mister! Just Doctor! Come out, it's okay!"_

It was Nana. The Doctor slapped his hand over his forehead like that. Why didn't he notice the little Diclonius come out when that commotion was at it's loudest? The poor girl must have worried about what was happening.

Something then popped into the Doctor's mind.

"_Nobody gets to sleep here for free!"_

"Nobody sleeps here... for free?"

So... was this an invitation to stay?

"Oh dear..." He said to himself. Of course, the Doctor was aware of Japanese customs of helping out with chores, even guests. It must have been Yuka's demeanor which caused him to act like that.

"Exactly the same as the Brigadier..." He mused to himself, shaking his head.

Going over to the door, he picked up his hat, and slightly cracked it open, just poking his curly head out.

He peeked down to Nana, and then to Nyu, who was holding a bag of sweets. However, his gaze then shifted towards Yuka, with a slightly surprised look in his wide eyes.

"...You mean you were going to let me and Lucy sleep here overnight?" He asked Yuka.

Before anybody could get a word out, Nyu reaches her hand into the bag of candy, taking out an overstuffed handful and nudging it in the direction of the Time Lord, rather determined to get him to eat at least one of the little treats. Grinning widely, however, she would step aside when Yuka cleared her throat.

As sheepish and awkward as this moment was, the mother hen exhales a sigh, "I'm just adjusted to everybody around here getting to their work right after we eat— I often times forget that guests are asked to help out with chores in other countries… And I guess I was a little brash," Yuka admits, "so— I'm sorry about that. You don't have to sleep in your little police box. It gets cold out here in the evening!"

Smiling in a coy manner, Kouta shook his head, "Yuka didn't mean any ill-harm, she's just naturally bossy."

Yuka took a glance over at her cousin, about to smack him over the head— but her arm halted in mid action, lowering it when she realized how that would have ruined the moment. Instead, she crossed her arms, keeping them away from Kouta.

"So please come out!" Nana spoke up, eyes pleading like a small pet, "We haven't even had dessert yet! Mayu is gonna help me out when she's done her dishes!"

He looked at the family of the Maple Inn, and considered his options. The Doctor would very much like to stay overnight, to keep an eye on Lucy, in case her alter decided to slip back. He raised his finger.

"One moment." He said before closing the door to think.

Leaning back against the wall next to the doors, he stuck his hat over his face. Yuka _was_ brash. Far too brash, yes, but he really needed to watch over Nyu, in case Lucy ever returned. Alters were interesting to deal with, and you never quite knew when they would disappear.

But... if he was going to have to deal with Yuka's bossiness...

"Very well!" He said to himself, his voice muffled.

The Doctor then opened the door to walk out, and locked the door behind him. Turning around, he flashed a toothy grin.

"Well! Let's get to cleaning those windows, shall we?" He asked, after taking a treat from Nyu. "Come along, Nyu. I may need some assistance." The Doctor then made for the bucket, with the elder Diclonius in tow.

"_NYYYUUUUUU~!_"

The bright eyed child mewls happily, a hop in her step as she followed the Doctor like a little duckling. Wide eyes sparkle with excitement— for whatever reason or another, Nyu enjoyed assisting with chores, whether it was scrubbing the floors, fixing the clocks and knick-knacks around the house, feeding Wanta, or even washing dishes. Not many people had as much energy as her either.

Yuka smiles in content, clapping both hands together, "Everybody working out is great! When we're all finished, we can eat the strawberry cake that Nana is going to complete!"

Dunking her towel into the cleaning solution, Nyu made quick work of washing the window next to the doctor humming some sort of care free tune that she had picked up somewhere or another. It may not be Lucy present, but the happy Diclonius proved to be comfortable company. Looking over at her scarved friend, she tilts her head.

"Do you miss her?"

The Doctor looked at Nyu as he grabbed a towel from his pocket and soaked it in the solution, getting a good amount on the rag before cleaning his window.

He nodded. "Yes. I do, Nyu." The Doctor said solemnly. "I was looking forward to enjoying this visit with Lucy, but I had no idea she was still being held back emotionally by this encounter."

Perhaps he was right. Maybe coming here _was_ a mistake. And if everyone is having a grand time with Nyu, and not Lucy, who more or less _deserved_ to be welcomed in open arms...

He shook his head. "I wanted to see her smiling. I don't think she ever did before she had met me. And now that she's not here right now, I feel a bit terrible that she won't get to experience _any_ of this."

Little Nyu frowns, noticing the somber expression on the Time Lord's face. Taking a break from cleaning her window pane, she could hear the lightest traces of the more mature Lucy whispering in the back of her mind.

* * *

"_I'm sorry that I've let you down… You came here so that I could ask Kouta for absolution. We even went over it when you asked me if I was ready for such a thing… I guess I wasn't… I guess I'm not as confident and ready to change as I thought I was… Nyu has always been the ideal image for me to carry, even though we are two completely different people. At least with Nyu around, nobody will get hurt…_"

* * *

Lucy knew that the Doctor would not hear those words— perhaps that made it easier for her to admit such things.

"Lucy is scared," Nyu spoke up lightly, "too many people at once. Too much for Lucy. Lucy will be back though," the girl promised, trying to at least get a smile out of the Doctor. Her purpose was to bring happiness to balance all of the tragedy that this household carried in it's heart. Everybody living in the Maple Inn had such saddening background— maybe that was why Nyu was so welcomed here.

She was Life, a pleasant lie.

While Lucy was Death, an unwelcome truth.

The Doctor went to the window and started to scrub it. "She never once mentioned you before either, Nyu." The Doctor pointed out. "How long have you been an occupant in Lucy's mental space?

"Nyu's been here for a year," the little angel spoke up, "but Nyu isn't strong like Lucy is, Nyu won't be here forever. Not enough room in Lucy's head."

"That's the interesting thing about Alters." The Doctor said. "Sometimes, you think that they will take up residence in your head forever, but until the dominant retains control, they start to phase out." He looked over to her as she went over to clean another window. "Though, with Lucy's psyche, it seems that you may be in there a long time. She appears to look to you to cheer everybody up, if your attitude has given any indication."

He finished scrubbing his window, inspecting his work. Nodding in one task done, he moved on to the next one, carrying the bucket with him.

"So, tell me, Nyu." He said. "I've no doubt you've seen what Lucy and I have been doing over the past few days. I'd like to know. What do you think of my progress with Lucy? And about me being a Time Lord with a TARDIS? Surely, even you must have been surprised when Lucy first stepped inside."

A little amount of solution trickled down Nyu's arm, dripping into a forming puddle wherever she stopped to clean and polish, "Nyu didn't know that people could fly around in boxes! Nyu isn't always listening to Lucy's talking, because she doesn't like it when Nyu is always poking around. Sometimes, Nyu thinks that Lucy doesn't like her," she responded in her usually third-person speech pattern, "—-Nyu likes it when Lucy isn't trying to kill everybody, because that means we can all be happy!"

Smiling and squirming a bit, the angel became distracted with a colorful cicada chirping and singing on the top of the window. Nyu was determined to scoop it up, forcing herself to jump and jump and reach until the noisy insect was in her hands. It was then apparent that this alter had no use of the signature Diclonius vectors.

"It's like a storybook! A magician shows up with his magical ship and saves the day!" Nyu giggles, allowing the cicada to crawl onto her face. Such childish glee and curiosity, something that had been long forgotten by Lucy. "Nyu thinks Papa is amazing."

The Doctor couldn't help but smile at Nyu's child-like glee. Scooping the cicada off of her face, he brought it to the trunk of a tree, and let it crawl off of his hand.

"I'm glad you think so." He said, watching the cicada scamper off. Turning back to the window, he went back to work. "So, you don't always listen in, eh? Understandable, since Lucy is striving to be independent." He looked at Nyu and put a hand on her shoulder. "I don't think that Lucy _doesn't_ like you. If she didn't, she wouldn't have you take her place right now. I'm sure that she knows you exist like this for a reason."

"Lucy doesn't always listen to Nyu's thoughts either, Lucy thinks they get annoying sometimes— but Nyu likes having all the happy things to think about! It's better than crying and hating everything," the angel mentioned, watching as the cicada climbed up the tree's trunk, wings flicking all the while.

He flashed a toothy grin to her. "I aim to make sure that Lucy puts her blood-soaked past behind her, so that she may live a peaceful life. The poor girl has experienced far too much pain and heartbreak. I want her to see that life itself is wonderful. And so far, she's made brilliant progress."

He ruffled Nyu's pink locks. "And you are quite the most interesting Alter I've come across. D'you know that I haven't been called something like Papa since..." His eyes widened as he thought of how much time had passed since his time with Susan.

...Maybe it was time to mention this to Nyu. Surely Lucy was also listening in...

"...since my granddaughter was still with me. Wonderful girl, she was. I think you and Lucy would like her, Nyu."

Giggling with glee the moment that her hair was ruffled up, Nyu's little cheeks lit up as she smiled with mirth; so much happiness to balance out the darkness within Lucy's heart. Could both emotions ever coexist in one personality? Was this the reason why Nyu existed, because the Diclonius could not give a true smile?

"Papa has a granddaughter? Nyu wants to meet her!" She chirped, reaching and washing the window panes once more, quickly moving to the next one, "Nyu thinks she would be really nice! Papa is, so she has to be too!"

* * *

_Lucy sits on the edge of her mental landscape, eyes shut as she listened and watched Nyu's actions in real time. It looked like those two were getting along— but the Doctor was still sure that the more violent of the two could eventually make a complete turn around._

_Never before had somebody held so much hope for the beast. It brought a sort of warmth to her heart._

_"…I should regain control later… They all deserve to see that I am not just a reckless killer."_

* * *

Nyu stops for a moment, blinking when she heard what Lucy had mentioned.

"U-Uhhh!" One arm reaches up, "Lucy says that she is gonna come back later! Does that make Papa happy?"

The Doctor smiled at the mention of Lucy coming back. "Yes. That does make me happy, Nyu." He said. "At least that comforts me that she is listening in."

So, Nyu wanted to meet Susan, huh? "I appreciate the thought of you wanting to meet my granddaughter, Nyu. Unfortunately, she's... a bit far. She moved away from me some time ago. She needed to live on her own, without me giving her enough trouble."

He looked up at the sky. "But maybe one day... I shall come back." The Doctor had echoed those words that he last spoke to Susan before he, Ian, and Barbara departed. "Yes, Nyu. I shall come back for her. One day..."

The Time Lord looked down and grinned at Nyu. "But, at least I have you and Lucy for the time being. That's what matters right now."

"Far away? You mean really REALLY far away in a boat or an airplane? Does she live in a different country? Nyu knows that there's lots and lots of other places on this planet, it's really big and great and wide. Nyu wants to see what it's like out there, even though Nyu still gets lost just going to the market," she mentioned with a little giggle; it was a fact. Every time the family of the Maple Inn went in public, one of them ALWAYS had to hold the angel's hand, or else she would get lost. There were times in which Lucy had been wandering abroad, and could practically hear the nervous whimpers of Nyu whenever she was on foreign soil.

Two hours would pass, and all of the windows around the inn would be thoroughly washed. While it had taken some time, stepping back and taking a look at the building resulting in a much cleaner image. Perhaps Yuka know what she was doing after all.

Mayu stepped outside to check on both the Doctor and Nyu, speaking up happily when she noticed that they were wrapping up the chore, "Oh, great timing! Come on, you gotta eat this cake before the whipped cream melts! Nana went a little crazy on the layers though… Hope ya like sugar."

"That sounds lovely, actually!" The Doctor piped up to Mayu. "I'd love to see what Nana's been up to. I don't remember the last time I even had cake..." He grabbed Nyu's hand. "Come along, Nyu." As he led the elder Diclonius inside, he went back to the dining room table where everyone was kneeling at again. With Nyu and the Doctor taking in their respectful places, he noticed that Nana wasn't in the room.

However, she walked in with the cake in tow. The Doctor's eyes widened at her creation. "Dear goodness, Nana. You certainly went a tad overboard." He said.

Comically, Nana comes out of the kitchen— Mayu in tow— with eight layers of strawberries, cream, bananas and cake. Eating in the dining room seemed mundane, and so it was decided that they would enjoy the sweet dessert out on the patio, underneath the sakura blossoms.

"W-Well you see! The first two layers didn't look too pretty, so I just kept covering it all up until it looked nice— and then I got hungry while doing it! And— now it's really tall!" Nana frets, taking another look at her decorative cake, "At least we have plenty…!"

Yuka smiles, following the little silpelit with a knife and some plates, "You're right, we'll have enough cake for the next week! As long as Kouta doesn't eat it all after school," she teased lightly, trying not to be as over-baring as she had been earlier.

Rolling his eyes, Kouta takes a place at the outdoor table; it was just about the same size as the one indoors, "If I ate like that everyday, I'd weigh a ton."

"Come now, Kouta." The Doctor said, taking a BIG slice of cake. "A man your age has a fast metabolism. You'd be surprised about how much you could eat without gaining weight." The Time Lord looked at his slice, and tried to take a bite with his fork. What hit the Doctor's tastebuds was, in a word, ambrosia.

"This is delicious, Nana!" He said, taking another bite. "You are a wonderful baker!"

"AHHH THANK YOU!" Nana's eyes lit up as bright as a star in the evening sky. She absolutely adored it when people complimented her cooking. For a creature that barely knew anything about the outside world, aside what she had learned in the past year, Nana did manage to learn how to cook properly.

"Yuka, Nana and I are going to take Wanta for a walk after this," Mayu reminded lightly.

"Oh, that's right, I almost forgot. I guess while you do that I can make a quick trip to the market for breakfast in the morning. We're out of eggs and nori," the mother hen sighed, musing aloud, "Kouta, do you feel like going?"

What appeared on the boy's face was huge alert of 'no'.

"I'll pass… I hate shopping."

The Doctor flashed a toothy grin to Kouta. "That's alright, Yuka." He said, putting an arm around the boy's shoulder. "I'll be sure to keep Kouta company. I'd be more than happy to get to know him while you lot are gone."

He tilted his head to Kouta. "You don't mind, of course, do you?"

"I don't mind at all!" Kouta mentioned with a passive smile, "There's probably a few other things to get done around here… I'd rather do that than have it piled up in the morning, especially with no classes tomorrow."

Yuka nods, "Good! Then that'll be it. Nyu— what about you?"

Looking up with cake crumbs and icing on her face, the little angel smiles, "Nyu! Go with Wanta!"

Shaking his head, the Doctor grabbed a napkin and wiped Nyu's face. "Come now, Nyu. Can't have you looking like that if you're going out and about."

After disposing of the napkin, he clapped his hands together. "Right, then! Kouta, what say we let these ladies get to their business? I'd like to have a look around this place, if it's not a bother."

After everybody finished with their confectioneries, the ladies of the Maple Inn split up to their own business; the Diclonii and Mayu went out to walk Wanta, but only once Nana and Nyu covered up their horns with decorative ribbons. It covered the protrusions, and made it appear that they were only wearing accessories.

"Alright, I'm out! Kouta, you wanted brown eggs, right?" Yuka shouted from the doorway before leaving, her cousin responding with an equally loud 'yes' from the other side of the house. He and the Time Lord were about to inspect the garden as everybody else left.

"Be back soon!"

With a sigh, Kouta cracks his shoulders, "As much as I love them, boy do I love when the house is silent even more."

The Doctor nodded. "Certainly." He remarked. "It's certainly good to get some alone time, especially in this environment. Quite frankly, I imagine that it tends to wear on you quite a bit."

Leaning up against the wall, he pulled out his yo-yo and started playing with it again. "So, tell me, Kouta. How long have you lived here? I'm quite surprised that you and Yuka are living with a girl and a Diclonius, much like Lucy. How exactly did this come about?"

As the Doctor fiddled with his yo-yo, Kouta would get to work on sweeping the back deck. The sakura blossoms, while beautiful, tended to clutter everywhere, especially on a breezy day such as this one.

"Well a friend of my uncle used to own this place, it was a motel for a while, and then became a restaurant. And when it was done and over with, my uncle bought it so that I had a place to stay during school. My cousin Yuka was informed when she found out that we'd be attending the same college," Kouta mentioned. The wayward boy was a much more laid back conversation pal than Yuka, "—Nyu showed up here after we found her stranded, bare naked, on the beach. Mayu then started staying with us after she returned a lost umbrella. Turned out she was a run away, so we gave her somewhere to rest her head. As for Nana, Mayu befriended her, and she had nowhere else to go— pretty much like the others."

"Is that so?" The Doctor asked, double looping his yo-yo. "You gave a few wayward children a place to call home. That's very admirable of you, Kouta. Not very many people I've seen here would do such a thing. It's nice to know that kindness can be found anywhere."

"It's proper custom around here. It's disgraceful to allow somebody in misery to wander alone. It brings dishonor to the family name— it's also just humane to give them somewhere to call home," he mentioned, taking a break from sweeping and looking over,

Winding up his yo-yo, the Doctor pocketed it, and took off his hat, pocketing it as well. "About Yuka, though..." He started. "Is she... always that standoffish? I honestly thought she was going to make our little spat come to blows. I've seen some feisty people, yet it seems that she doesn't know quite when to relax..."

"Oh, about her. I dunno, when we were younger, Yuka was really shy and awkward in conversation. Guess she got a backbone outta nowhere. I hadn't seen her since I was nine years old, so I was just as surprised as you when it turned out that she became… Well…"

Kouta gulps softly.

"A witch."

The Doctor raised his eyebrows. "Indeed." He muttered. "Well, while there is a witch, there's usually a powerful wizard nearby to combat her." He kicked himself off the wall and put an arm around Kouta's shoulder.

"Let me tell you something, Kouta." He said. "I've dealt with women like Yuka in the past. I'm all for having sort of a laid back attitude, but sometimes you have to let them know that you can't be pushed around easily. Sometimes, you have to put your foot down. If you let her walk all over you like that, she'll continue to do so." He shook his head. "You can't take attitudes like that, Kouta. There's a fine line with having an assertive attitude, and just being outright mean-spirited. Unfortunately, she is the latter."

Leaping a bit from the sudden arm around his shoulder, Kouta is careful not to drop the broom that nearly escaped his hands, "Ehhh, I dunno. I've always been sorta whipped, even from the beginning. I can remember my mom babying me to the point where I would practically serve her hand and foot! And, I just like keeping people happy— so when Yuka seems annoyed, I just brush it off and let her go. It's easier than starting an argument, like we did often as kids."

Kouta sighs, looking around. It would take at least a good hour to get this deck organized and clean, "Though, I promise, if she does get on my nerves, I'll have a word with her. I'm just horrible with confrontations— I guess that's why I sorta…"

He bites his tongue.

He was about to bring up the fact that he simply just told Lucy to leave, and never come back, rather than working things out.

The Doctor could see Kouta keeping silent after he trailed off.

"...Just let it happen?" He asked Kouta, finishing his sentence. "That's the thing, my dear boy. You can't just 'let it happen'. You have to do something. It does no one any good if you just stand there to take the blows, when you clearly have opportunities to defend yourself."

He then brought himself face to face with Kouta. "And you can, Kouta. I'm confident in that, because I can see that you have determination within you. You're responsible, and you're noble. You shouldn't let anyone tell you different. Not Yuka, and not even me. You have the power within yourself to make something happen."

The Doctor poked at the boy's chest. "It lies with you, Kouta. You make the choice. You turn tail and run, or you stand your ground."

"Eehhhh— it's just, the idea of standing up to her with the possibility of upsetting her feelings, I just don't like it," Kouta voiced, "Yuka's always been so damn sensitive— and jealous. Even having Nyu and the others around kept her on edge at first because she assumed that I would give them all of the attention instead!"

Groaning, the laid back one resumed his sweeping, "It would take a while for me to break that awkward wall down in a way that would satisfy the both of us. I personally think that Yuka needs to learn how to have some pride for herself. Maybe if she had a better opinion towards her own self, there would be less bossing around. You know how people say, if they don't have control of their own life, they're trying to toy with the lives of others to feel satisfaction."

"Exactly the same way a puppeteer would pull strings..." The Doctor mused, as he watched Kouta go back to work. "You don't condone her behavior, yet you let it happen. Although..." He put a thoughtful finger to his chin. "You may be right. An attitude as that can certainly be rooted in one's own opinion of their self. If that's the case, it sounds like Yuka has an inferiority complex. She prefers to be the superior matriarch, because of how she feels with other females being in your company." His eyes widened.

"Precisely the same attitude of an alpha female in the Primate family." He then covered his face with his palm. Even when humans try to act civil with one another, sometimes they act _so similar_ to a simple ape.

"I'm sure that she is nice, Kouta. But after that little display, I have a distinct feeling I'll be butting heads with her." The Time Lord glanced at Kouta. "You'll forgive me if she starts to shout at me again. I think that our previous conflict won't be the last."

* * *

_'Really, all of you are just stupid primates…'_

* * *

When the Doctor brought up the comparison of Yuka to that animal family, Kouta experienced a chilling flashback to something that he head heard his old childhood friend mutter once— when did he hear that? Was it on the way home from the zoo? He could not place a finger on it quite.

"I guess you're right with that, and if you DO end up butting heads with Yuka, I'll try to be the voice of logic. But, from what I've experienced, I don't exactly have the best logic to voice to begin with," Kouta pondered, bending down to pick up a small frog that was on the deck, gently tossing it over into the grass.

"—Women are so confusing," he stopped and woe'd.

Even the Doctor could agree with Kouta. Sometimes, women were confusing, even if they were brilliant. At times, their minds are absolutely wonderful. Yet, at the same time, a good lot of women can muddle their minds with something so negative. And it was a shame when he saw that.

Yuka could _clearly_ do better in terms with dealing with people. And the fact she railed on the Doctor, and insulted Kouta back to back, was evidence enough.

Upon that, though, the Doctor then thought of his previous female companions. Barbara, Polly, Victoria, Liz, Jo, Sarah Jane, and Leela. They were all wonderful companions, even if they had their own quirks about them.

He then trotted off of the patio to the side of the inn, where he stood and looked at the TARDIS. Going over to the blue doors, he examined the "Pull to Open" sign. Seems like there was a bit of a smudge on it.

A quick breath and a scrub from his scarf later on the sign, a little polish put it right.

Kouta's mind was full of deas and thoughts, mostly concerning, with not surprise, the return of the elder Diclonius. There had to be some sort of purpose behind this sudden reunion— Nyu was not the type of person to just come in and visit, especially not after their explosive argument before she fled.

"I don't even know her name… We just call her Nyu because of the sounds she makes," he ponders quietly to himself, "I wonder why I never got her name…?"

He decided to drop the thought, and continue with his work.

When the Doctor would return, Kouta would still be found sweeping up the heaps and piles of blossoms— he was beginning to question whether or not he should just cut the trees down in order to avoid this sort of mess several times a year. However, Nana would throw an incredible fit; she absolutely adored the beautiful pink-tinged flowers, and liked to collect them and make art from the petals.

"Say, sir," the college boy speaks up, running a hand through his hair with a tired sigh, "you mentioned earlier how you found Nyu. Do you find yourself just… Wandering around a lot? Don't you have a home? I don't wanna sound rude, but, you don't exactly look like you're from around here."

"No, Kouta. I'm not." The Doctor said, shaking his head. "It's as I told you. I'm a traveler. I just found myself here in Japan after a bit of business with my... superiors." His superiors being the Time Lords on Gallifrey. "So, for a quick holiday, I just decided to come here. That was when I had found Lucy... er, Nyu, rather."

He scratched his temple. "But, you're right. I do find myself wondering about from place to place. Not just because I have no home. Far from it. I just prefer to see sights and meet different people."

"Not a homestead person, are you? I sometimes wish I was a little more ambitious like that. Since I was younger, I've always been a little nervous about moving place to place, hence the fact that I only ever left Satoyama to visit Kamakura in the summers. I couldn't imagine just moving around for the sake of moving," Kouta mentioned.

The Doctor shrugged. "Well, you've people to care for. Your cousin, Mayu, Wanta, and Nana. You've more or less settled down while trying to pursue your education. You aren't necessarily in _my_ field, Kouta." He said. "I'm always running, being on the move. It's what I've gotten used to as I got older. I couldn't really stand being at my home for so long, so I left. I saw various sights, and met all sorts of different people, you included." He smiled. "It's what I live for, to be honest."

"Guess that's what Doctors do. Always have to go where the problem is," Kouta said— of course, in his mind, he thought of the term as in people who went about helping the diseased with vaccinations and such; men and women who go to foreign countries during a viral outbreak. Oh the irony it would be when he found out his comment was accurate, but not in the manner in which he thought.

* * *

It took a bit of time, but Kouta had finished cleaning the deck of the Maple Inn. The Doctor had left Kouta to do his task, while he stood outside the front of the Maple Inn, just to the side of the TARDIS. He was bored, to say the least. Kouta didn't make for good conversation while he was working, unfortunately, so the silence was awkward, to say the least.

"FINALLY! And now I won't have to do this for another two weeks— ugh, why did my uncle have to have me living in such a big house? Sure it's free, but… The maintenance sucks. I bet an apartment would be much easier," Kouta complained, coming out to the front.

He could hear Kouta sighing in relief and yawning. Not long after, he saw Kouta poke out and found the Doctor. The Time Lord flashed a toothy grin at the boy.

"Done with everything?" He asked Kouta.

"Yep! All finished, now the rest of the night will be smooth," he grinned, looking up into the sky to see where the sun was. It was nearing the tree line, and so it must be close to dusk, "huh, I wonder where the girls are with the dog? They must have snuck off to the beach of something."

Wandering over, Kouta's eyes then caught the mysterious blue police box; that definitely was not there before he went to university that day— and earlier, the Doctor had just walked right into it as if he owned the damn thing!

"—-So uh, any idea where that blue thing came from?"

The Doctor grinned at Kouta. "I'm glad you finally noticed it, Kouta." He said. "It's quite simple, really. I put it there. That blue Police Box is actually my own property."

He walked over to the TARDIS and pat the wooden paneling. "This is actually a Police Box from England. From the year 1963, to be exact. I don't think you've seen one up close and personal, have you?"

The Doctor leaned against the TARDIS with his hands in his pockets. "Interesting thing about these Police Boxes. They were used as hot lines for the police if you needed to call the authorities." He explained, pointing to the "Pull to Open" sign, where the phone was. "They could even be used as temporary holding cells for convicts before the police arrived. Isn't that interesting, Kouta?"

"—You put it there?!"

Kouta did not even give himself time to process the other bit of information that the Doctor had shared about the box's origins and extra facts, he was more so dumbfounded that an English Police Box had been planted at his front step by a single man!

Raising both brows, blue eyes widening in amazement, the college student stutters.

"But— Why would you— How did you—- WHAT?"

"...Kouta, are you even listening to me?"

The Doctor tilted his head. "Dear goodness, are you alright? Is it the fact I put it here that surprising to you? I needed a place to put it if Lucy and I were coming to visit you."

He shrugged, both palms facing upward. "How else was I supposed to arrive here? I didn't necessarily get here by train. It'd be nightfall, if that were the case."

He walked in front of Kouta, putting his hands on the boy's shoulders. "You seem a bit awestruck, Kouta. Is something wrong?"

"Wait, wait, hold on a minute— you're telling me that you travel around… IN A POLICE BOX?!" Kouta was dumbfounded, blubbering and unsure of what to make of the entire scenario. Both hands pressed into the sides of his heads, brows furrowed in disbelief.

"No way! Its—- It's a BOX! You don't just get into a box and fly around! You're joking with me, right!?"

The Doctor widened his eyes. "Am I?" He asked. "Are you quite sure that flying around in a Police Box is absurd? Because, let me tell you, you're not the first person to say that to me."

He then thought of Ian Chesterton's first meeting with the Time Lord.

* * *

"_Let me get this straight. A thing that looks like a Police Box standing in a junkyard... it can move ANYWHERE in time and space?"_

* * *

And even Harry Sullivan's skepticism to the Doctor's method of traveling before he left UNIT.

* * *

"_Come along now, Doctor. We're both reasonable men. Now, we both know that Police Boxes don't go careering around all over the place."_

* * *

So, when Kouta was naturally sharing the same skepticism as his previous companions, it seemed that mere explanation alone was not going to help him see different. Human curiosity was a powerful thing, and the Doctor was greatly amused by it.

He flashed a toothy grin. Time for some show and tell.

"Now, if you don't believe that it's possible, perhaps you'd like to step inside?" He presented the door to him. "Here, I'll unlock the door for you."

He walked over to the wooden doors, and turned the key until the door unlocked. The Time Lord stood aside, still grinning widely.

"Well? In you go, Kouta."

A hand ruffles his own hair— this man was either flat out bonkers, or some sort of wizard. Kouta could not decide in the moment, and so he sighs. Here is an individual who knew very well that through science and evolution, there wandered a species that had horns and could kill people in an instant. But that was science! There was reasoning behind it! And there was absolutely nothing logical about a man floating around in a giant blue box like some sort of cartoon character!_It was IMPOSSIBLE!_

Turning his head slightly, Kouta glances around outside before answering the Doctor first hand, "Uuhhh— thanks," he responded, stepping forward closer to the door to the Police Box.

And just as he was about to take a step in, the sound of Wanta's barking is heard nearby, the chattering of the girls as they approached.

"Let's not do that again," Mayu lamented, shaking her head, "I don't think letting Wanta play with a neighborhood cat is a good idea."

Nana speaks up, a few cuts on her hand, "Hey! Don't worry about it, at least the cat was friendly!" Clearly, the feline had not been that social if it had attacked the little silpelit like that. Nyu did not even bother trying to touch the cat after seeing it hiss towards Wanta.

"Kouta, we're back!" Nana calls out, staring at him and the Doctor, "What're you guys doing?"

"Oh, I'm just about to show Kouta something extraordinary, really. This boy doesn't really believe something I'm telling him, so I'm deciding to show him something."

He turned to Kouta, and he looked almost frozen, trying to figure out what to do next. Was he debating whether or not to walk in, or leave? He was too close to showing him what Lucy experienced, and wasn't about to have him walk away because a few girls said so.

Walking behind Kouta with his back to him, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his yo-yo.

Deliberately, however, he dropped it.

"Oh, dear." He said, bending down. "It looks like I dropped my yo-yo. Let me just get it in just a quick-"

He then quickly lifted his leg up, and pushed Kouta's rear end with his foot, shoving him into the TARDIS.

Looking at the girls, he lifted a finger up. "Do give me just one moment, my dears." He said, before turning to the TARDIS and walking in.

Blinking, the group of girls simultaneously tilt their heads, confused about what had just happened. Should they knock on the door to see what in the worldwas going on? Maybe if they stood there long enough, the two would step out...

* * *

After Kouta stumbles into the police box, he lifts his head, "Did you really just push me?! That's rud—-"

Eyes landed on the environment around him; a futuristic layout, as if he had stepped into an alien spaceship! There were monitors, controllers, and— how did all of this fit inside a little blue box? It was twice, three, maybe four times as large as the exterior!

"…"

Kouta was, well, speechless.

His expression was priceless as well, to say the least. His mouth was agape, and his eyes were widened in shock. He looked at everything that was in the console room, trying his best to comprehend his current environment.

Same thing happened to Lucy, only she was a bit more level headed. Kouta, however, was probably the one who would be overcome by the most shock, as would probably Yuka, if she ever saw the inside of the TARDIS.

With a smile, the Doctor walked over and leaned on the console. "Kouta, allow me to introduce you to my ship. It's called the TARDIS."

"… You really did fly here in a giant box," Kouta spoke, almost as if he could pass out at any given moment, "it's like a SPACE SHUTTLE in here!" The college boy began to romp around, getting a look at everything, "It's huge! It's impossibly huge! How in the world did you get this thing—-"

He turns his head, "… You're a really interesting Doctor. This is way cooler than some sleepy little office in the business district, it explains how you get around so much! Just look at all this stuff! It's AMAZING!"

That childish fascination, for the first time in a while, was struck in the boy's eyes. As a child, he enjoyed learning, especially when it came to science. This was the mecca of all things advanced.

"Well, I wouldn't say I flew, Kouta." The Doctor said, shrugging. "You see, the TARDIS pops in and out of different places through a process called materialization. Although, when I'm in space, then yes, it does fly."

He grinned widely as Kouta walked around, laughing in pure fascination of the Doctor's TARDIS. "And this was how Lucy and I arrived. Why, we were actually having a rather fun time in North Yorkshire, England before we popped in here."

He walked up to Kouta, and put an arm around the boy's shoulder. "Quite a wonder, isn't it? I don't call the Old Girl the best ship in the universe for nothing."

"Geez… I didn't think anything like this was possible, it breaks so many logical laws of physics— how does all of this even fit?!" Kouta looks over his shoulder, pausing before asking a dire, burning question.

There was only one possible explanation for everything that was going on. No nation on Earth was this technologically advanced, and if they were, then the entire world would know.

"You travel through space and materialize at will wherever you want. You're not human, are you…?"

The Doctor laughed as he pat Kouta on the back. "You're quite astute, Kouta. I'm not human, actually. I am known as a Time Lord. And my home planet is located in the constellation of Kasterborus. A planet called Gallifrey."

He then walked away from Kouta, and outstretched his arms. "As for how it fits, Lucy had thought the same thing. She thought the laws of physics were broken, too. But, it's as I told her. This is involved with relative dimensions that fit within a smaller object. A product of trans-dimensional engineering, if you will. You see-"

The Doctor turned around and stopped himself. He tilted his head a bit. Kouta almost seemed a bit uneasy to hear that the Doctor was an extraterrestrial.

...Was this because of who Lucy was? Did he think that if there's a non-human, they suddenly want to kill?

"You're... not human, Doctor?" Kouta asked, almost scared.

The Doctor felt a bit taken aback that Kouta seemed a bit hostile at that fact. Lucy really _did_ have an adverse effect on him...

"That doesn't make it seem like I'm bad, does it, Kouta?" He asked. "I assure you, I'm a friend of humanity."

Kouta absorbed as much information as he could; questions popped up in the back of his head, but they could be held until the end of the Doctor's comments. College had taught him that interrupting a lecture could possibly ruin the atmosphere, and make him appear rude. That was the LAST thing that the boy wanted, especially in front of somebody of this caliber.

And yet, when he mentioned that he was from a completely different planet, it did not sit well in Kouta's stomach. What if this man's race looked upon humans with hateful eyes, just like the dahlia eyes that Lucy had?

Shaken, the boy exhales, listening to the Time Lord assure that he was NOT a danger to this planet, "I guess… I guess if you were, then you would have already attacked us. Yeah, you're right," Kouta grins, "you're not a bad guy. Not a bit! But, I have to know why you look so human if you're supposedly from another planet. Some sort of technology that can cloak yourself?"

The Doctor chuckled. "If that were the case, I could have many tentacles and about 15 sets of eyes. Though, with tentacles, I imagine that that wouldn't sit well in this country." He shook his head. "No, you see, we Time Lords have existed long before you humans have started to populate the Earth. The fact that we look alike in terms of aesthetics is just mere coincidence."

He moved closer to Kouta, coming face to face with him. "Looking at me now, I could very well fool you by outward appearance alone. Yet, the real differences lie within. You see, I possess greater intelligence than you, as well as faster reflexes. While our differences in abilities are quite miniscule, the _real _differences lie within our physiology."

He dug into his pocket and pulled out his stethoscope, much like he did with Lucy. Sticking the ear pieces in Kouta's ears, he smiled. "Don't worry. I'm going to show you something very interesting." He then brought the diaphragm over to one side of his chest, and then to the other, showing off his two hearts.

After a few seconds of demonstration, he took the earpieces off Kouta. "That's another key difference between Time Lords and Humans, Kouta. We possess two hearts. It's what's called a Binary Cardiovascular System."

Deciding to ignore the blatant tentacle pornography joke that the Doctor had spewed off, Kouta nodded along, listening to what the intelligent man had to speak of; science fiction was a genre of entertainment that had always intrigued the college boy, even into his youth. Stories of UFOs, aliens and androids were popular within comic books and stories during Kouta's years as a child. The other students in his classes always hoarded the comic books to read before, during, and after class.

Who would have thought that these stories were real?

The existence of Lucy and Nana was already shocking; such dramatic mutations within the human genes had produced these creatures. There was science backing this up.

But a man with a multi-dimensional traveling ship in the guise of a Police Box— that was practically unheard of. And yet, here it was, plain as day.

As the Doctor explained the main difference between humans and the Gallifreyans, he had offered a stethoscope to listen through— and by a good deal amount of shock, Kouta heard not one, but TWO heartbeats in the man's chest!

"TWO hearts?! Why do you need two of them?"

* * *

Meanwhile, outside of the TARDIS, the girls stood in absolute confusion about what had occurred just moments ago. Mayu had picked up Wanta, scratching at his belly absentmindedly.

"They sure have been in there for a while," she breaths in thought, glancing over at Nana and Nyu.

The young silpelit seemed spaced off in her own thoughts, at least until some sort of realization struck true, causing the girl's eyes to widen.

"—Oh dear, wh-what if they suffocated! It's so tiny in there, Kouta must have tripped in and the Doctor tried to help him up! But the door closed, and they're stuck in there!" Nana frets, becoming hysteric. "GUYS! WE HAVE TO SAVE THEM!"

Mayu, while not too sure about her friend's logic, nods, putting the puppy back onto the ground, "Alright! Let's do it!"

"Okay Mayu!" The little one pips up, posing with her left shoulder aimed at the door, "On the count of three, we're gonna bust the door down! One! Two!—"

And of course, once hearing the idea that two of her friends were in danger, Nyu frantically jumps, a childish whine coming from her throat. SHE HAD TO HELP TOO!

"—-THREE!"

Just as Mayu and Nana were prepared to knock the door down, Nyu pushed the two girls down, trampling over them and pushing the door to the TARDIS in herself— this would result in all three of them falling to the ground with an audible THUD.

* * *

"That's just our genetic make-up, Kouta." The Doctor explained. "You see, Time Lords-"

Just as he was about to finish, the wooden blue doors barreled open as Mayu, Nana, and Nyu fell to the ground, sprawling in pain. The initial shock of expecting to hit a Police Box wall must have not come through, which would leave them confused.

Going over to the girls, he shook his head. "Goodness, that was quite a nasty fall. Are you three alright?" He offered a hand to each of the girls. "Here, let me help you all up."

As he helped the girls up one by one, they looked around as they were nursing their wounds. Confusion, shock, then awe spelled across their faces, in that order, too.

The Doctor only grinned as they realized where they were. "Don't worry. You'll get used to it. Relative dimensions and all that." He outstretched his arms again. "Welcome to the TARDIS."

Dizzy and thrown off by the collision, Nana mewls in pain, though it was not intense at all. All that came about from crashing into the ground was a light bruise on her elbow.

"D-did we break through the other side…?"

Just as Nana asked that question out loud, all three of the girls stopped, frantically looking around wide, technologically advanced room.

"The TARDIS…? Is this some sorta fun house? Or a movie theater? Or a— Is THIS your magical DOCTOR'S OFFICE?! W-Wow! I would love to come in here if I was sick!" Nana spoke in her usual high pitched voice, looking and running around like a child in a candy store. With Mayu in tow, the little run away kept to herself, making sure not to touch anything.

"Careful Nana! Don't break anything!"

The college boy looks at the three girls, "I thought you guys were on a walk with Wanta!" In response, Nyu stands, holding the petite dog.

"Nyu! We all finished though!"

"It's more than that, Nana. This is my own ship." The Doctor said, kneeling next to the smaller Diclonius. "Lucy and I used this to get ourselves here. In fact, I'll let you in on something, Nana." He brought his face to Nana's ear. "I'm not human. I'm a Time Lord." He whispered loudly so that Mayu could hear.

He could very well feel Nana's eyes widen. He then looked at Nana's wide eyes. "Now, isn't that fascinating, Nana?" He asked. "How does it feel not being the only non-human right now?"

Nana jumps! In fact, she was so surprised, that her vectors nearly tripped the people around her from lashing them out, "BUT I THOUGHT YOU WERE A DOCTOR!"

Her finger points forward, "A Time Lord! So you're royalty, and in charge of time! Does this mean that you're in charge of TIME!? Why do you call yourself a Doctor then?! Is it a cover up so that people do not find out and assassinate you?!"

Mayu puts her hands up, "Calm down Nana! No need to be so hyper!"

The Doctor was laughing. This was too hilarious! Time Lords, in a sense, _were_ royalty, but more in the sense of power. Not so much wealth. But he laughed even hard when her vectors tripped the Doctor out of pure shock. Now, he was on the floor, in hysterics.

"Oh, Nana!" He said, trying to control himself. "You have no idea how much I love the wonder of children!" He helped himself back up, containing his laughter. "But, you must have heard me when I was talking to Kouta. The Doctor's my name. I'm not just _a_ Doctor, but rather _the_ Doctor."

He then stuck a hand in front of Nana. "And, I'm not_ quite_ in charge of time. I can manipulate it and shape the future to my own design, within certain limits. I can't change fixed points or alter the future to fit _my_ needs. I have to keep things properly maintained."

At first Nana was mortified that she had accidentally send the Doctor tumbling onto the ground. Her initial reaction was to bend down and help him up, but after the last situation where she assisted somebody to their feet, her prosthetic arm popped off, putting them back to the ground. Instead, the silpelit stepped back so that the scarved one could help himself out.

"You're a TIME TRAVELER then! Tell me tell me tell me!" She jumps up and down, her physical arms up in the air, "_What sorta things have you seen?! Have you went back to see dinosaurs?! What about other things?! Mayu told me that humans used to live in houses made of sticks! _**She can't be right—right?! That's just silly!**"

Her face was reddening from the sheer amount of gabbing coming from her mouth. Nana sure did have a lot to say!

The time of the Dinosaurs? Oh dear, as if the ONLY time the Doctor saw them was in the Jurassic Period. No, what poor little Nana never realized was that back in his previous incarnation, the Doctor witnessed the Dinosaurs actually invade England back in the 70s, during his UNIT days. Granted, they were put there through the use of a Timescoop, as a means of humans trying to control time and shape it to their very will.

Needless to say, the Doctor and UNIT put a stop to it, and everything was right where it belonged.

"Why, yes. I have seen Dinosaurs, Nana." He said. "And even the Neanderthals of old. In fact, they didn't really live in houses made of sticks. That wasn't until much later. Rather, they lived in caves, where shelter was most prevalent."

Eyes lighting up like holiday decorations, the silpelit stares on in wonder, "You need to take me on a trip to see them one day! I've always wanted to see what they look like up close! Oh it would be the best present ever! Nana will be a good giirrrrrrrlllllllll~!" She presses both hands to her cheeks, spinning around on one foot.

"Eh?" Mayu noticed that Wanta was barking at something— not too sure what it was, the girl places her dog down, "What're you barking at, Wanta?"

Absentmindedly, Kouta looks over after taking a glance at the TARDIS controls. Across the room, Nyu had knelt down next to what appeared to be some sort of robotic canine!

As the noise in the console room started to escalate, K-9 could hear it far down the corridor. Rolling to investigate what it was, he happened upon a whole troupe of people that wound up inside the TARDIS. Naturally, the first person to come into contact with the dog was Nyu.

Unfortunately, K-9 was unaware that Lucy was no longer the occupant of the pinkette's mind, as the child-like Alter sat down and started petting K-9.

"Greetings, Mistress Lucy." K-9 had said. "Are you still functioning within normal perimeters?"

Rather than responding to the question, Nyu began to pet at the robotic creature as if it were a living organism, humming and cooing like a child. It would more than likely be confusing to K-9. And the fact that an actual living dog was approaching, would be more than amusing.

Wanta stares at the mechanical creature, barking and yipping in it's face, pouncing and jumping about like any puppy would.

"Wanta! What're you doing?" Mayu giggles, going over and inspecting what was going on, "—oh? Oh! Doctor! Is this YOUR robot?"

All attention had now shifted towards K-9, as all of the individuals in the TARDIS moved over to look at what was going on.

"...Mistress? Why are you not responding?" It was then everybody started to crowd K-9. If he were capable of emotion, he would almost be frightened by the attention. He almost considered drawing his photon-beam in self defense until the Doctor stepped in.

"Hang on, you lot." He told the group. "Please, don't crowd around him. He gets scared very easily."

As they backed off a bit, K-9 wheeled over to Wanta, who continued to bark in his face.

"You are over-excited." K-9 said to Wanta. "A continual, excitable bark will not help matters."

"Oh, stop it, K-9." The Doctor scorned. "Don't be rude to Mayu's dog."

The robot turned to face the Time Lord. "Master. Why are there so many people in the TARDIS?"

"These are my new friends, K-9." He said, pointing to them. "Do you hear? _Friends._"

K-9 looked at the group and swiveled his ears, and blinked his optics. "Figures recognized as friends, Master."

"Good!" He said, nodding. The Doctor then started to point to each person. "Now, that's Kouta, Mayu and Nana. The one who _is_ Lucy, however, isn't. That's Nyu."

"Illogical, Master." K-9 said. "That figure is Mistress Lucy. There is no such person named Nyu."

"K-9, she's an alter. Understand? An _alter_. Lucy's a Multiple."

K-9 swiveled his ears. "Understood, Master. Mistress Nyu identified. But there is another Diclonius detected."

"That's Nana." The Doctor pointed out. "She's friendly."

"Affirmative. Recognized as friends, Master."

The Doctor shook his head. It took some real effort sometimes for K-9 to get comfortable with certain people, especially too many strangers. "Well, go on. Introduce yourself."

"Affirmative." K-9 nodded. "I am K-9 Mk. II. It is a pleasure to meet you all. I am here to assist."

"Ya know, somebody in my second grade class tried to build a robot for our school festival, it didn't turn out good like this one," Kouta mentioned, thinking about that cocky little nerd that had claimed to have the capability of programming fully functional intelligent robots from scratch. What they got instead was something that looked out of a box of LEGOs. He reaches, nudging at K-9's exterior, "Did you build this, Doctor?"

The creme-coated pup tilts his head, wondering why the figure before him was not barking. It LOOKED like a dog… But it did not act, sound, or smell like a dog. How confusing. Little Wanta whimpers in frustration, bumping his head with the other's in an attempt to figure out what was going on.

"Oh come on Wanta, don't be snuffy," her owner chirps, picking up the puppy, "Hi K-9! I don't think I've ever met a talking dog before! You've got MY dog all wound up and excited!"

Nyu remained on her her knees, watching everything interact with the robotic life form with a bout of laughter, "Nyu thinks all of you are funny!"

Curiously, the silpelit asked K-9 a simple question, "Can you play games like other little dogs? Like fetch and chase? Can he Doctor? Does K-9 know any tricks?! Here! Lemme try!"

Nana plops onto her knees, "Okay! Let's try this!" She raises a hand, about to command 'paw', before realizing that the dog did not have any legs. Retracting her hand, the little horned one speaks another command.

"Speak, K-9!"

"I am speaking, Mistress." K-9 responded. "What would you like me to speak about?"

The Doctor could only laugh at Nana's little display of trying to get K-9 to do actual dog tricks. Sure, K-9 knew fetch, but he didn't know very much else. Rather than say anything, he let Nana find out for herself.

Instead, he went over to Kouta to talk with him about K-9. "Yes, I did build K-9, Kouta." He said. "But please. K-9's not an 'it', but a 'he'. He's very sensitive to that sort of thing."

"Ahh, HE! Okay. How long did it take to assemble him?" Kouta questioned, watching the silpelit and the robot interact.

" … . "

Nana sat there for a good while in silence, until what K-9 had said clicked in her mind.

"—You don't bark, do you? Uuhhmmm, well," she rubs a hand against her chin in thought, "—oh! Can you play any games, like fetch?" Reaching into her pocket, Nana produces a small tennis ball that was often used with Wanta on their daily walks.

"Affirmative. I know how to play fetch, Mistress. I possess a grav-beam to help grab small objects, but nothing too heavy." K-9 said. He then started wagging his tail. "May we start playing now, Mistress?" The robot became excited. He never really got to play fetch very often since he was activated.

As this was going on, the Doctor and Kouta continued to converse. "Oh, not too long, really." He answered. "You see, I had a previous model to work with, but he had slightly primative human technology. Granted, it was still sophisticated, but primative by my own standards. So, when I built K-9, I used existing Gallifreyan technology, including knowledge of the TARDIS, and non-lethal capabilities. So, really, it didn't as long as building a robot from scratch."

Nana leaps to her feet with the same amount of boundless energy as always— from the looks of it, she even used her vectors to make the action even more dramatic, "Yay! I like to try and play fetch with Wanta, but the tennis ball is practically as big as his body! It makes him topple over if he isn't too careful!"

Grabbing the ball, she steps back a little, "Okay," and makes sure to toss the toy in an area that would not break one of the pieces of TARDIS technology, "fetch!"

With a squirm, Wanta tries to wiggle out of Mayu's grasp. How dare another dog try and play with his toy!

"I see… Does the dog have a connection to this TARDIS in general, or can he roam around as he pleases?" Kouta questions, "Like, does he have limitations outside of this are?"

"He has no limitations, apart from climbing stairs." The Doctor said. "K-9's a sentient artificial intelligence, so he mainly has guard duty with the TARDIS. He even controls it when I need to do something else. Sometimes, he'll roam around the corridors, but has pretty sharp hearing when I call on him. Other times, he'll shut down to recharge his nuclear battery."

He shrugged. "As far as roaming outside, I just need to be careful with him. He has a protective deflector shield and a stun beam if anything gets hairy. But when it's peaceful, he makes for a good companion when I need someone to talk to, or if I need any sophisticated scans."

K-9, meanwhile, chased after the ball on the other side of the console room. Arming his beam, he used his grav-beam setting to trap the ball in a Zero-G field, picking up the object and levitating it. Bringing it over to Nana, he dropped the ball, shutting off the grav-beam.

"Fetch completed, Mistress." K-9 said, wagging his wire tail.

"Do you think that this is the future of society? Having robotic companions helping people with day to day activities? My father told me once as a kid that at the rate technology is growing today, we could have complete companies and businesses running on artificial intelligence within the next ten years!" Kouta mentioned with an excited undertone— maybe if that were the case, he would never have to sweep floors again. There could be a robotic house maid doing all of the heavy work.

When K-9 returned the ball, Nana jumped up once, "Good boy! U-Uhm… I don't have any treats to give you, and I'm not sure if you even eat them… But I can give you a pat on the head!" She bends down, a hand patting at the robot's head just like she would do to a living dog. "My Papa said that people who do good get pats as a sign of a good job!"

Mayu decided to speak up once Wanta had squirmed out of her grip, "I'm pretty sure robots don't need to eat Nana, I wouldn't worry about that!"

* * *

All of this activity was going on within the TARDIS. So much, in fact, that most of the people had forgotten that Yuka would be arriving home soon with groceries. Soon, being just now. The mother hen stepped passed the gates of Maple Inn, shouting out, "I'm home! Kouta! Mayu! Nana? Nyu? … Doctor?" Blinking, the woman stands there, placing a hand on her head, "…Where is everybody?"

* * *

The Doctor shrugged. "I can't say for certain." He said. "I've been to the future of this planet quite a few times, and every time is a bit different. Why, at one point in time, when I had traveled to the year 2007, people actually had robots! Once again, not as sophisticated as they are now, but there's one thing to keep in mind. The future is always changing, Kouta. So I don't know if-"

He then heard a woman's voice. The Doctor shushed everybody, as the console room quieted down. He then switched on the viewscreen, and saw who it was. He cringed.

Yuka was home.

"_I'm home! Kouta! Mayu! Nana? Nyu? … Doctor? …Where is everybody?"_

"It seems that the noisy bird has returned..." He said in a grim tone.

"Robots in the year 2007? This year? That's so unfair," Kouta lamented with a boyish groan; so close! The dreams of being freed from housework had been so close! "Guess we'll just have to keep pushing forward— these days, more money is spent on wars than actual research and conservation— Yuka?"

He turns, hearing that all-too familiar voice coming from outside the door.

"—Oh no, she probably thinks we all ditched her! Crap, she'll be pissed if we don't go out and let her know we're still here," he starts, heading towards the exit.

The Doctor stopped him. "Wait a minute, Kouta." He said. "I'll go out first, and you all follow me." The group gathered behind the Doctor as he gingerly opened the door, and walked out of the TARDIS, as Yuka was walking about, still wondering where everyone was.

"Hello!" The Doctor greeted. "Did you have a safe trip, Yuka?"

The girls had heard Yuka coming home and caught what the Doctor had instructed. Gathering over near the door, Nana, Nyu, Mayu and Kouta waited for the taller Time Lord to exit the TARDIS.

As he did so, Yuka turns her head, noticing the Doctor leaving his police box, "Oh! There you are— using the phone or something? Do you know where everybody else is? It's getting late, the girls should be home by now!"

The Doctor only grinned. "Oh, don't worry, Yuka. They're all here. Just not quite where you would expect." He then waved his hand to the group inside the TARDIS, signaling them to come out. One by one, Kouta, Nana, Mayu, Wanta, Nyu, and even K-9 filed out of the TARDIS.

Needless to say, Yuka seemed a bit confused as to why everyone was in the Police Box in the first place...

"There they a—aaahhhhhhhhhhhhh?!" Yuka leaps back, eyes bugged out just like a praying mantis. How in the world had all of those bodies fit into the Police Box?!

"Oh, welcome home Yuka!" Kouta greeted in a nonchalant manner, going and grabbing one of the heavier bags out of her hands, "Need help with any of these? Don't worry, I have it," he mentioned, heading indoors.

"UUh— Thank… You…?" The mother hen quips, noticing the little metallic guest that was following after the girls.

"Here. I'll help you." The Doctor said, taking a few bags out of Yuka's hands. "K-9, be a good boy and hang on to these." He then set a bag on top of K-9's terminal.

"Affirmative."

The lot of people entered into the Maple Inn with the groceries. As everyone set the groceries down and unloaded, K-9 and Yuka stood face to face with each other.

They both stared each other down as the Doctor unloaded dog food, assumed to be for Wanta.

"Is there something troubling you, Mistress?" K-9 asked the shocked girl.

After the Doctor was done, he pat K-9 on the head. "Don't worry. She doesn't quite know yet." He whispered before turning to Yuka. "This is my second best friend, Yuka. His name is K-9."

Everybody else went with the flow! And Yuka— she behaved as Yuka would any other time when she was flabbergasted. It seemed that every time she learned something about the Doctor, there were even MORE questions left unanswered! Whatever was going on with everybody inside of that blue box was a mystery. Perhaps it was best to ask about that later, even though the question was burning.

Instead, Yuka smiles pleasantly, looking down at the sentient robot, "You have manners, hello there!" She stands up straight, looking over, "I didn't know you had animatronics! Do you build them for theme parks or something? He's so realistic!"

The Doctor tilted his head, almost with a bit of disdain. "Come now, Yuka. He's more than a mere theme park attraction. K-9 is, in essence, a computer."

"Better than a computer, Master." K-9 said.

"Yes, I'm aware of that. But you're more than anything that could be used to entertain humans." He then rubbed K-9's head as if he were a real dog.

"Am I not entertaining humans, Master? It seemed that way with Mistress Nana and-"

"I mean entertaining them as a sideshow attraction. You're more than that, is what I'm saying."

K-9 nodded. "Affirmative. Your meaning is understood."

The Doctor looked up to Yuka. "I beg your pardon, Yuka. K-9's a really good companion. I merely built him for myself. It gets rather lonely just wondering the cosmos, so I constructed K-9 to have somebody to talk to." He leaned next to K-9, as if a human would to a larger dog. "And we've become the best of friends, haven't we K-9?"

K-9 nodded again. "Affirmative!" The robot said, wagging his tail.

"He's a computer companion, how cool!" She mentioned in a sing-song voice, "And he gets along with the others. Why didn't you bring him outearlier? I bet he must have been cramped in that little box," Yuka pondered as everybody made their way indoors, groceries put away.

* * *

It was dark out, the moon slowly making a place in the night sky. Kouta sat on his knees in front of the table, reading a rather drab article about political movements and flaws for a college course, "This is the stupidest class ever," he groans, putting his forehead on the table, "there's no reason to take this if I just want the credits."

Meanwhile, Nyu had ran off somewhere within the house— she hadn't been seen in a few moments, and Nana was looking around, "Lucy-sama! Where are you?" Turning each corner, she keeps shouting until a single clock 'bong' is heard.

"Oh! Is she working with that giant clock again?"

* * *

Some time had passed as everyone began to settle down. Night time had taken over, and the Doctor was sitting at the table, reading his book "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". It was one of his favorite novels, and Douglas Adams certainly knew how to write. He always loved how nonchalant his style was when it came to dialogue.

As Kouta groaned about his homework, the Doctor set his book down. "Come now, Kouta. You can't be thinking like that." The Doctor prodded. "Just a half hour more of studying. You can't over-exert yourself, but you have to try to get some of the material memorized." He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bar wrapped in foil.

"Here. Chocolate does wonders for the brain." He said. "Go ahead and have some."

"Still don't see how any of this is helpful, it's just a bunch of old men arguing— thanks for the chocolate though," the lazy one sighed, popping the candy into his mouth and allowing it to melt. Studying was something that Kouta abhorred. If he were going to school, why would they not cover everything in class? Was that not the point of going every single damn day?

* * *

"Nnyyyuuuuu!"

The innocent one played with the pendulum within the grandfather clock, listening to it's clicks with glee; this had always been her favorite play thing! Before Lucy left, Nyu had managed to fix the antique. Since then, though, somebody in the house had moved it from the hall into the study. Once Nana found Nyu, she was relieved, knowing that the Diclonius hadn't wandered off.

"I bet the Doctor would like to see Nyu's toy!" She stand to her feet, scurrying and slipping down the hallways and back into the dining room, "Doctor! Doctor! Come see what Nyu worked on!"

The Doctor's head perked up, as Nyu jumped into the dining room. With a smile, he pat Kouta on the shoulder. As Nyu hopped and skipped down the hallway, the Doctor stuffed his hands in his pockets as Nyu stood in front of an old grandfather clock. He flashed a toothy grin. "Ah! This is rather interesting!" He said to himself. "You worked on this yourself, Nyu?"

However, upon standing in front of the grandfather clock, something didn't sit very well in the Doctor's stomach...

Since day one, Nyu had been curious about the inner working of the grandfather clock that sat in the hallway. Despite not being that bright at the time, she got to serious work whenever it came to trying to figuring it out. She enjoyed the soft click and bongs that came from inside of it— in a way, the more that Nyu made the clock work, the better her own mind clicked.

She was proud of it, and was happy to see it was still in the house!

"All by Nyu's self!" She chirps, going to open the front of it to play with the pendulum.

As Nyu played with the pendulum, an uneasy feeling came upon the Doctor, washing over him as if there was a certain familiarity about the grandfather clock. He furrowed his eyebrows. Something wasn't right...

While Nyu entertained herself, the Doctor stared at the clock's face, bringing his hand up to touch it. "Hmm..." He said. The Time Lord could very well sense something within the object, and for some odd reason, he felt a twinge of fear.

But... it couldn't be...

"Something is very strange about this clock..." He muttered, his expression still serious. "...I don't like it."

Lifting her head in childish curiosity, the naive one spoke up from where she was kneeling, "Something strange?" Nyu stood to her feet, tilting her head and allotting a short 'hmmmmm' in thought.

"…Papa is right," she said quietly.

"…It's way too dusty!" She laments, beginning to wipe the clocks face. That had to be what was wrong! Nyu always kept her prized toy clean, how dare she allow it to accumulate filth!

The Doctor was taken by surprise just a bit as Nyu thought his feelings toward the clock was because it was dusty.

Unfortunately, Nyu's perception of the clock was nothing like the Doctor's.

He stared at the face of the clock as Nyu dusted it. He could almost feel like something was watching him from behind it...

His eyes widened.

It can't be a TARDIS... can it?

If it were... then that would mean...

No, that's ridiculous... It couldn't be _him_.

"Nyu..." The Doctor said, keeping his eyes on the clock. "I think it would be best if you stepped away from the clock." He put a protective hand on her shoulder. "I'm getting the strange feeling that it's not supposed to be there..."

Magenta eyes stared just as a defenseless little doe would when threatened by a hunter; Nyu did not understand the tension that was coming from the usual brave, un-bothered Time Lord that she had come to know in this short time. Seeing him behave so— strangely, it had her worried.

"Not supposed to be here? Nyu doesn't understand," the girl mewled, flummoxed by what the Doctor had proposed. However, obediently, she backs away, watching every moment that the taller man made. He obviously knew something that Nyu did not.

The Doctor then encircled his arm around Nyu's shoulder. "...Neither do I, Nyu." He said. "And that's what worries me."

The Time Lord squinted his eyes at the object. This _really_ seemed odd, now. Why would a grandfather clock give him the chills? And the very notion that it was very well a TARDIS? There was no way...!

Was this his real Time Lord intuition showing its face? Or could the stress from the past few days be getting to him?

Over the course of his time with Lucy, he came across bloodshed, painful memories, an awful voice in Lucy's head, a coma, and learning that Lucy was a multiple.

Naturally, feeling fear from a simple _grandfather clock_ seemed strange.

The Doctor kept his eyes locked on the clock. He wasn't sure whether to investigate it, or leave it be. He wrestled many thoughts as the clock stared back at him.

"Nyu... go give Kouta some company."

Nodding with a quick 'Nyu!', the Diclonius turned heel and ran down the hallway in order to give all of her attention to Kouta who was trying to study. The lazed boy had gotten through two out of five chapters that would be covered in his next exam; lifting his head, he noticed the Diclonius running in and sliding onto her knees next to him.

"Oh, hey Nyu. What're you up to?" He questioned, looking over.

"Papa told me to come and give Kouta company!" She beamed, sitting there pleasantly.

As this conversation came about, Yuka was coming through cleaning cobwebs out of the corner. The fact that Nyu was back was leaving her nervous. Not only was their the chance that trouble could be stirred, but once again, the mother hen would have to share Kouta with the pinkette— her jealous would grow eventually. Sighing to herself, she noticed some dirt in the corner near the bookshelf, beginning to sweep it up.

"I'm just studying," Kouta sighed, looking and staring off into the distance, forgetting all about his textbook.

What he did not anticipate, was to accidentally catch a glimpse of Yuka's underwear— just as the brunette turned and noticed.

* * *

This clock. It has been nagging at the Doctor for some time. To anyone who might have walked in, they would have thought that the Doctor engaged with a staring contest with the clock would be absurd.

But something... something was _gnawing_ inside the Time Lord's brain... _aching_ at the sinking feeling that he was experiencing.

"If you are what I _think_ you are..." He softly muttered. "Then you must have a door somewhere..."

He examined the clock from the front. There was no way to get inside from the front, as the pendulum was in the way. He looked at the sides, and then to the rear. He saw a _very small_ door handle on the rear side of the clock.

Normally, clocks would have rear doors just in case there was repair needed on the internal gears. But, this seemed _far _too inconspicuous to a mere human.

He was on the handle's side. The Doctor could very well have a small peek inside to confirm his suspicions.

Slowly. He'd have to do it _slowly_. As gingerly as possible, he just about grasped the handle with his fingers. Until...

"_KOUTA! YOU PERVERT!"_

An audible smack was heard from across the hall.

Snapping his head to the source of the sound, he ran away from the clock, to see Kouta down on his side, rubbing his cheek.

"What in Rassilon's Ghost happened?" The Time Lord went over to Kouta, showing a bit of concern. "Dear goodness, that sounded like a hard smack. Are you alright, Kouta?"

Helping Kouta to his feet, he looked sternly at Yuka. "What in blazes was that for, Yuka? What did Kouta do to deserve that?"

"U-uuggggggggggh, I didn't mean to Yuka!" The boy cried out, a distinct red mark in the shape of a palm stinging his cheek. His own hand rubbed at the wound gingerly, groaning thanks to just how much force his cousin had used. Damn! To think that Yuka went easy on him!

Any other person would have tried to stop such an act, but Nyu was so used to this sort of behavior, that she remained on her knees, now curiously paging through Kouta's college textbook. The large words confused her to a good degree, but the diagrams were entertaining enough.

With a huff, Yuka turns her head, arms crossed, her expression that of a stuffy, insulted aristocrat.

"He was staring at my panties like a common street pig!" She accused, pointing down at the disabled college boy.

Arguing back, he complains; at first, Kouta was just going to go with the flow as always and apologize, but he decided that now was the time to stand up for himself and take the Doctor's advice, "I was not! I was spacing out and your ass just happened to be in the way! Not my fault that you decided to bend down and dust in your school skirt!"

Yuka's eyes were LIVID, and she was about ready to make another similar mark on his other cheek, "WELL WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?! Do chores in a fur coat?! I don't believe that you would just space out like that, you could have looked ANYWHERE in this room!"

The Doctor stood up and looked at Yuka confused. "Surely you must be joking..." The Doctor said to her, as he looked at the skirt that Yuka wore. "Are you aware, Yuka, at how short your skirt is? Why in blazes would you bend over, to where that garment would very well ride up revealing your undergarments?"

Yuka looked like she was just about to slap the Doctor, but he pointed a stern finger in her face. "Oh, no you don't, Sunshine! Wait a minute!" He said in a loud, commanding voice. "I'm NOT about to let you walk all over Kouta simply for spacing out a moment. The boy's been studying hard, and I've no doubt he's trying to keep himself focused. And with you coming in here, distracting him , _and hitting him_, I can't have that."

The parental Time Lord then pointed to Kouta, still keeping his gaze locked on Yuka. "Now, make nice and apologize to your cousin."

OH how she WISHED she could smack the Time Lord right in the face! Breath, Yuka, breath. That would be a terrible thing to do— especially to guest. Damned customs and manners; the mother hen inhales sharply, her face reddened from shouting, along with embarrassment. Both hands reached down, tugging her school skirt. Truth be told, it had ridden up when she bent over earlier.

Backing up when her face was pointed at, Yuka's own finger pointed upwards, "SO YOU'RE SAYING JUST BECAUSE I CAME IN TO DUST, THAT HE HAD THE RIGHT TO BLAME ME FOR BEING DISTRACTED?! That's ridiculous and untrue! I'll apologize to Kouta when HE apologizes to me! HMPH!"

"WILL YOU STOP ACTING LIKE A DAMNED CHILD, YUKA!?"

The Doctor widened his eyes as he blew up to the Mother Hen. It wasn't very often he used curse words, even mild ones like 'damn'. But, Yuka really was acting like a child. One who would blame a fight that was started by a bully on the victim, simply for being in his line of sight.

Silence followed as the Doctor's booming voice rang through the room. "Yes. He has the right to blame you, because you started a conflict that didn't NEEDED to be started in the first place! That little chore could have waited until he was finished studying, and quite frankly, I'm still quite puzzled that you never even bothered to change out of your uniform in the first place, and _don't bother_ saying that chores were first. It takes mere seconds to grab a change of clothes, and _you know it!_"

Yuka's eyes then trailed to Nyu, who was still happily distracted by Kouta's book. She was just about to speak about Nyu, but the Doctor stopped her. "And don't you dare put the blame on Nyu, either! I told her to keep Kouta company. And keeping company is _nothing_ like distracting. She's perfectly capable of entertaining herself while still giving Kouta a friendly face to look at."

He pointed to Yuka again. "NOT someone who will beat on him for an accidental glance." The Time Lord once again pointed to Kouta. "Well, what are you waiting for? I'm not leaving until you apologize to Kouta right now!"

Two hands covered little Nyu's mouth; just like any child would react to an adult using such language, the girl was shocked, but for whatever reason or another, an out of character giggle was coming from her throat. If anybody were to be the amused one in the room, it was the dormant Lucy within the crypt of that mind. Instead of making a scene about it,however, she kept her face in the text book.

YUKA, on the other hand, was thrown off, and not too sure how to react to the Doctor's rebuttle. He was correct about everything that he had stated, but the brunete was not about to throw the argument and lose. Despite her ridiculous thought process, she still felt awkward having anybody looking at her underwear.

"Maybe you should clean in a fur coat," Kouta mentioned offhand, not looking at either of them when he made that statement.

Whipping her head to the side, Yuka's smolder grew. If it were possible, the woman's head would be steaming with sheer anger, "Keep your mouth to yourself Kouta!"

"Kouta, now's not the time for sarcasm." The Doctor simply said. "And that does not sound like an apology to me, Yuka."

The Doctor crossed his arms and tapped his foot. "I told you, I'm not leaving until you make amends with Kouta. And I'm not asking you to_beg_ for his forgiveness. I just want you two to make nice. Now, go on! Apologize to him."

With a stubborn head, it was incredibly difficult to get Yuka to do anything that was not her own demand— it did not mean she was not completely closed off from doing so, however. With a grain of salt, the brunette sighs, glancing over.

"I'm sorry," the mother hen breaths.

"I dunno if I want to accept that apology," Kouta mentions, crossing his arms.

"WHA—?" Yuka leans forward.

And thus, the older cousin snickers, raising his hands, "I was kidding, kidding! Apology accepted."

She blushes with embarrassment, lowering her head, "Stupid Kouta…"

After the two cousins made up, the Doctor flashed a toothy grin and put his arm around Yuka.

"Good! That wasn't so hard, was it, Yuka?" He asked. "Now, I don't want you hitting Kouta anymore, or having a berating attitude. It's not healthy to be so overbearing. Might I recommend reading, or meditation? Having a bit of chocolate works wonders, too."

He then slipped his arm off of Yuka, and walked to the doorway. "Now, if you'll excuse me." The Doctor stopped short, however, and turned to face Yuka. "And Yuka. Do us a favor and get rid of those silly clothes. You're not in school right now."

"My SILLY clothes? There's nothing silly about my school uniform, it's comfortable," the brunette rebuttles, "why else would the country decide on forcing all the girls to wear it? Besides, you can't say anything when you're dressed like _this_."

Yuka reaches forward, picking up the end of the Doctor's scarf, "Just look at this! You're dressed and ready for Halloween, or a snow storm! You can't call my skirt silly if you're running around with a scarf that drags on the ground and probably collects dirt!"

The Doctor's eyes widened, and before he knew it, his brow furrowed as Yuka was holding his scarf.

"You've got a lot of nerve, Yuka. You know that?" He said, snatching the scarf end away from her grip. "This scarf has become a practical extension of me, and has helped me in situations that could have otherwise endangered me. Why, I've used this as a rope, as a measuring tool, and even as a tripwire!"

The Time Lord threw the end over his shoulder. How dare Yuka insult his sense of style, and his scarf? The same one that Madame Nostradamus knitted for him.

"Besides, what do you know? At least my clothing doesn't reveal any undergarments!"

With a roll of her eyes and a groan, Yuka decided to drop the conversation, "I'm going to go and change," she mentioned with a sigh, stepping out of the dining room and heading upstairs to her bedroom.

"…That turned out better than expected," the college boy spoke up, sitting back down and returning to his studies. Nyu, for whatever reason or another, was still giggling— had the presence of Lucy within her mind not been know, it would have been creepy.

* * *

It was nearing nine o' clock in the evening; Mayu had already settled into her bed for the night, curled up with her dog. Nana was beginning to doze off, not too keen on bed time quite yet.

The Doctor took his pocketwatch out, and popped the lid open. Quite a bit of time had passed, especially after that small little spat with Yuka earlier. Maybe it was time for some shut-eye.

Normally, Time Lords didn't really require a lot of sleep, but after what he went through over the past few days, a good eight hours of rest might be just what the Doctor ordered, if the pun could be forgiven.

Looking over to Kouta, he saw that he was _still_ having his head in the book, with Nyu having her arms encircled around the boy's shoulders. The Doctor reached over and put a hand on the textbook's pages.

"I think you've studied enough for one night, Kouta." He said. "What say you get some rest? I think it's almost time for bed for the good lot of us." His eyes trailed over to Nyu, who looked like she was dozing off.

"Nyu!" The Diclonius nuzzled Kouta's head just as a feline would, "Kouta needs to sleep!" Reaching around, she reached around and shut the textbook with a 'thump', resulting in the boy jumping just a little.

"Time to sleep? Ehhhh," a quick glance shows that nighttime had crept in; how long had he been studying? In that case, Kouta was almost positive that he had crammed enough. Standing, he cracks his back, allowing a soft yawn. "Yeah, that sounds good. I haven't heard Yuka, so she and the others must be asleep already. Uh— lemme show you one of the guest rooms."

Nyu trotted right behind Kouta. recalling where her own room was, just down the hall, the third door on the left. Next to that one was another vacant room, "The advantage of living in an old inn, plenty of space," the college boy mentioned, turning on the light and pointing to the traditional floor space bed on the side of the room. There was also a small desk and chair, if one felt the need to scribe.

"Is this fitting for you, Doctor?"

The Doctor walked in, and had a small look around. Kneeling down, he patted the bedding on the floor, making sure it was soft.

Nice and cushioned.

Going over to the desk, he sat his hat on top of it, and shed off his frock coat. Kicking off his shoes, he shed the scarf and set it on top of the frock on the chair. All that was left were his trousers, his waistcoat, and white shirt.

He grinned to Kouta. "Yes. This will do quite nicely, thank you."

"Great, if you need anything, just come in and wake me up. I promise I won't bite— don't wake up Yuka though, she's a monster first thing in the morning… I'd hate to think of what would happen if you interrupted her sleep," Kouta said, trying to stifle a light laugh at the end of his sentence. Turning, he waved off, exiting down the hall.

Still standing there, Nyu scrambled over to the Doctor, jumping with her arms up and hugging onto the taller male, "Nighty night, Papa! Sweet dreams!"

The Doctor chuckled as he hugged Nyu in a tight embrace. "Good night, Nyu." He said. "You and Lucy sleep tight, okay?" With a enthusiastic nod, Nyu skipped away to her room and closed her door.

As Kouta walked to his own room, the Doctor decided to close his own door, and leaned against it. Closing his eyes, he shook his head.

A small thump was heard on the other side.

He opened the door, and saw K-9 was standing in front of the doorway.

"Hello, K-9!" He said, smiling.

"Master." K-9 responded, wheeling in. "Everyone else has fallen asleep. Are you about to go to sleep, Master?"

The Doctor nodded. "Yeah, K-9. It's been an eventful day, don't you think?"

"Affirmative. You are showing signs of fatigue. A quality not well known in Time Lord physiology. Are you functioning normally, Master?"

Other times, the Doctor would argue that K-9's sensors were acting up again. This time, however, there was a bit of truth in K-9's statement.

He shrugged. "I dunno, K-9." The exhausted Time Lord said, making his way over to the bedding. "It _has_ been eventful, and after hearing that Lucy is a multiple, even that's a little too much to take in."

K-9 rolled closer to the Doctor, as the Time Lord set an idle hand on the dog's head. "Mistress Nyu?" K-9 asked.

"Yes. And I have to wonder if Lucy will ever appear again. There's no telling how long she's going to hide, if that's the case."

"Past readouts from Nyu suggested mental conflicts, Master. Mistress Lucy is bound to show herself again as the dominant personality. She would not flee so easily unless there is mental stress involved, and it seems that you may have exacerbated in that regard."

The Doctor put a hand over his face. "You may be right, K-9." He said. "I suppose coming here was a mistake."

K-9 raised his head in a sense of curiosity. "Mistake, Master?"

"Yes, a mistake." He sighed as he went to turn off the light, with the moonlight being the only source of illumination through the window. "Let's just hope Lucy will be okay in the morning."

Getting under the covers, he looked at K-9. "Well?" He asked. "Are you wanting to cuddle, K-9?"

"Negative." K-9 responded. "I cannot partake in such activities. More to the point, I will need to recharge my batteries."

The Doctor gave K-9 a rub on the nose. "Good night, K-9. Hope you have pleasant dreams of algorithms and computations."

"Goodnight, Master." And with that, K-9 powered down next to the Doctor, his head drooping as his optics blinked off.

With a small smile, the Doctor laid on his back, still taking in the day's events.

He had had his first run in with the Instinct, a bike ride with Lucy, who in turn helped her first human, and brought her back to the place she once called home, and now a child-like personality is taking residence in her mind.

The Doctor couldn't help but wonder if his company with Lucy would get even more hectic from here...

And the clock... something still didn't sit right in his stomach.

Maybe Lucy was right. There was too much over-thinking on his part, and as she had said, there was enough turmoil to last a lifetime in just two days. Maybe now was the perfect time for some sleep.

The Doctor closed his eyes, and he was asleep ten minutes later.

* * *

A plane of dream time always conjured up some of the most wonderful, and horrible ideas to have ever been conceived. If monsters can dream, then the benevolent can experience night terror. For if you are the light, then should you not be able to fight at the demons finding shelter in your psyche for the evening?

_Lucid…_

_Footsteps…_

Images of women sprawled out against sepia-yellow landscapes, forever trapped in time by the strokes of oil paint on canvas. Entranced expressions, ever so enchanted, equally exaggerated with relative ease— there was something magical about the way in which humans can copy their faces with raw materials.

"Gustav Klimt sure does know how to come up with some creepy stuff."

It was a trip to Vienna, how and why the group had managed to get there was beyond knowledge. Kouta, Yuka, Mayu, Nana, Nyu and the Doctor, gazing upon the works of an Austrian painter— some of the most unnerving pieces to have ever been conceived. Beautiful in it's own right, but damned…

_Eerie..._

"Art is in the eye of the beholder! I'm sure old Klimt had his reasons for such an interpretation, you should never judge an artist without sitting down to understand him first," the Doctor mentions, observing each piece as the group meandered through the museum. There were dozens of people, all experiencing guided tours to learn about the artist's life, and style.

"It's nice," Kouta mentioned, clearly bored, "I guess."

The group would stop after hearing Nyu give a shrill little chirp, admiring a certain piece of work.

_Der Kuss._

Two lovers embraced within the colors of goldenrod and cinnamon, their expressions serene— trapped in time. Surrounding those paintings were others similar to that style, as if all of them served to tell some sort of story.

Everybody would go over towards the painting, taking a look at it. Appreciating the little family's fascination, the Doctor steps back with a grin, watching them all bond over the image.

The soft hum of people in the background speaking.

And then…

"PAPA!"

Nyu runs forward, smiling— but there was something odd about her smile. Her expression was gleeful and happy, but her eyes… The cherry hues were gradually widening. Grabbing his hand, she pulls the Time Lord closer— and then.

A dark clap, complete blackness for a second.

Did the lights flicker?

Lights off.

Lights on.

The Doctor would lift his head to witness absolutely everybody within the museum to have vanished.

**Emptiness.**

All but him, and little Nyu, still smiling as if nothing had changed. An attempt to speak would be made by the man, but nothing comes out— just like a strained trapped bird, the words remain unheard. Nyu smiles wide.

Another flicker.

Nyu smiles wide.

Now the angel is coated in crimson; the floors, the ceiling, the art, dripping red.

She turns, letting go of his hand, and pointing upwards at Der Kuss, "Nyu made it pretty!"

Cranking his head to look at the image, he would be deceived with darkness once more— flicker, flicker, flicker.

Lucy's crazed face flashes for just the shortest second, lips tugged into a sadistic smile.

…And now he was alone, in the deepest silence. Not even a white noise permeates the air.

He was.

Utterly.

**Alone.**

Dazed and confused, he whips his head around, calling out like a scared lamb.

"_Nyu! KOUTA! MAYU! NANA! YUKA!_" Turning, turning, turning, turning— and that is when his eyes settle on the art once more… The vacant expressions of the women and men in Klimt's work, replaced with familiar faces— both new, and old. Though they were far from the relaxed eyes that were in the paintings originally, each person's face was twisted in pain, mutilation upon the bodies, as if a beast had ripped into the flesh.

_Look what you made me do…_

—And there, there, in Der Kuss, the lovers that once stood there, were swapped out with Lucy holding a young Susan to her chest, vectors frozen, but prepared to tear into the little girl at any moment— as if the painting itself was the only thing preventing her from victory.

The Doctor would begin to run, his heaving breath, heartbeat, and footsteps creating the only source of sound._ Running, running, running. Faster, he must go faster, FASTER! FASTER! HIS LIFE DEPENDS ON IT! IF HE WERE TO STOP, HE WOULD JOIN THOSE TRAPPED WITHIN THE WALLS—_

… The end of the hallway is black… Abnormally black… Shadows staining the floor, ceiling and walls… And the faintest sound of an infant crying could be heard. The Doctor wished to pursue on once hearing that pathetic sound. But something prevents him from moving. His limbs feel like led.

The cries become louder, closer, sharper, more pained.

_Look what you made me do…_

The shadows are hungry. They inch closer. Oh those painful _CRIES!_ Anybody would return to that nauseating silence than listen to that BABY! LOUDER! LOUDER! LOUDER!

Something was emerging from this obsidian maw…

"Hush little baby, don't say a word…

Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird…"

"And if that mockingbird doesn't sing…

Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring… "

An outline of a child can be seen, and eventually, a little girl comes out trembling, her face wet with tears, body stiff, an arm reaching out to the Time Lord.

"It hurts…! Mama… It hurts…!"

Scrappy clothing and big brown eyes, shocked and desolate.

An awful feeling of dread washes over the Time Lord as that child comes closer. It felt like hours before she would stop in front of him, mumbling one little sentence behind sniffles.

_Look what you made me do…_

Both hands are held out, showing the, soaked in blood.

…Her face begins to flake, and decay, the flesh rotting and dropping to the ground.

_Look what you made me do…!_

Until a pungent, grey and green face stares, screaming.

_"LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO!"_

The body falls apart, the shadows swallow the Doctor, and be begins to fall

And fall-

And fall

And fall…

Smashing into the ground— and there she stands, the devilish Instinct, arms spread, prepared for his arrival.

"_YOU CAN NEVER SILENCE ME! I AM THE BEGINNING AND I AM THE END! AND THE MORE YOU TRY TO FIGHT IT, THE MORE YOU WILL ALL SUFFER WHEN I ASCEND FROM THIS CESSPOOL! THE BEAST IS, AND IS NOT, AND IS ABOUT TO RISE! LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO!_"

In the body of a child, she begins to throw a fit, snaring and tearing at her own body with vicious nails and teeth.

_"LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO!"_

Materialized on the ground, were the bodies of the Doctor's closest loved ones— Leela, Sarah Jane, Harry Sullivan, the Brigadier, Jo Grant, Liz Shaw, and several more bodies that were unable to be identified thanks to the sheer mutilation.

The Instinct grabs the Time Lord's face, slowly smiling with gnarled teeth, yellowed and reddened— her eyes were a fire, a reflection of perfect agony— it BURNED.

"_O… Quam… Saa— …—-_**aann**_ tra… Qua—_**a**_-aaamm se…re, e, e, naaaa…_"

Her mouth stretches wide— and just Hell swallowed Lucifer, the Beast devours the Doctor whole.

* * *

Eyes shot open.

The Doctor jolted up from his pillow, his breathing heavy and ragged. He whips his head from side to side, before gripping the side of his head.

"Was it all a dream...?"

Surely... but it felt so _real_, but yet, everyone he knew.

The Klimt paintings...

Susan... Sarah... Harry... the Brigadier...

"No... No, no, no, no..." He said to himself, shaking his head. "Not her..."

Did she invade his mind after that fiasco?

_Pat, pat_.

There were small footsteps outside his door. Was Nyu up and about? Or was it Mayu or Nana?

Wanta may just needed a bathroom break.

Getting up from his bedding, the Doctor went to the door to investigate. As he was just about to open it, something stopped him.

_What was stopping him?_

He shook his head. "That's preposterous..." He slid the door open, expecting Nyu or the younger children.

However, what the Doctor saw made his eyes widen in horror, and his skin crawl in terror. A small child was in the doorway, with horns protuding from the head much like Nana and Lucy.

Though, it wasn't Nana. Eyes looked up, with sharp teeth bearing, and bandages loose and hanging from the body.

The Doctor nearly screamed as the face came into view.

_It was the Instinct!_


	4. Part Four

**DOCTOR WHO AND THE DICLONIUS**

By Isaac Raimi and Mary Vitals

**PART FOUR**

* * *

Childhood brought a mess of issues and conditions tied up in a bow and ribbon for Kouta; insomnia, paranoia, a lack of confidence, and the inability to think positive.

_"That poor boy… He'll surly have troubles with his head after seeing what had happened. He doesn't even remember the events of that day, and it was only two weeks ago. Who knows how long he'll have to stay here for rehabilitation?"_

After witnessing the murder of his younger sister and father, Kouta spent two years in a children's mental health center in order to grab a bearing on what had happened to his family. He was only nine years old when the slaughter occurred, and it brought on a wave of inconceivable emotion. His mind began to lock faces and events away— for a while, he did not recall his younger cousin, Yuka, nor the slew of friends that he had made in grade school.

Because of being put away, Kouta's education slipped. The center's teachers did not teach the same curriculum that the public schools in Japan offered, due to having to teach some heavily disturbed or disabled children. Once a thirsty child, prepared to learn, Kouta no longer found a draw to education.

That never changed, even after being released into the custody of relatives. He could not sleep on his own for months requiring the presence of another in his room, or a nightlight. It was embarrassing, and made him feel like a baby. Kouta easily listened to the fabricated lie that his uncle and aunt had come up with to explain Kanae and his father's death; his father died in a car crash, and Kanae got terminally ill.

It was easier to say that, than you stir up memories that could bring a relapse on.

Despite Kouta now knowing the truth, though, his sleeping was still in question.

Moments after finally falling into the realm of dreams, a blood-curling scream is heard down the hallway, from the Time Lord's room. Shooting up from bed, brown eyes widen as he scrambles to his feet.

_**No— it couldn't be possible— did Nyu's dark side wake up and cause trouble?**_

* * *

The Doctor screamed in absolute terror as he tripped backwards, falling on his rear end and hands. He was hyperventilating, and his eyes were as wide as saucers. This shouldn't be possible! The Instinct was a construct of Lucy's mind! How... _HOW could it be materialized here...?_

The last time the Time Lord felt fear was facing the Great One, goddess of the Eight Legs on the planet of Metibeles III. But the Doctor couldn't recall feeling _this_ fearful before.

His nightmare had just come true.

"What are you doing here!?" He shouted. "Get away from me! Leave my friends alone!"

The little girl only tilted her head, her murderous smile still persistent, as she walked closer.

The Doctor was scurrying on the floor, in fear. "K-9! K-9! Wake up!"

K-9 was silent, as he was still recharging.

Getting up, he backed up against the wall. He had never felt so helpless before. Here he was, a manipulator of time and space, and yet he was terrified of a little girl. A girl that could spell doom for him and Lucy.

"K-9! Please! Wake up! Help me!"

The robotronic was still silent.

"K-9! HELP ME!"

"_No one can save you, Time Lord."_ The beastly child spoke, in a warped, chilling voice. _"Your blood will be stained by me, and your head will be a reminder to your friends. A reminder of how you failed them all..."_

"LEAVE THEM ALONE! They have absolutely nothing to do with this!"

"_Do they, Doctor? I think they have __**everything**__ to do with this. You are weak. Weak as the very insects that plague this planet. Your connection with them is such an annoyance. One that I intend to __**correct.**__"_

"Don't you _dare_ hurt them." The Doctor said through clenched teeth. He was seething with rage, a byproduct of his fear showing through. "I swear, if you so much as lay one _invisible finger _on them, I'll-"

"_You'll do what?"_ A small snicker. _"You will do nothing. I will rule this world, and the oceans will run red with the blood of the scum that infect this planet. You will be powerless to stop me as you watch these fleshwalkers die like flies. A helpless, pathetic husk, who will do simply nothing, because you are no more than a coward."_ She clawed her own face, blood running down her cheek from the scratches. _"And then... I will kill you. I will rip your limbs off, tear your heart out, mash your brain, and slice you apart until there is nothing left!"_

The Instinct walked closer, and placed a hand on the Doctor's cheek, smiling wickedly. _"You have disappointed them all, Doctor. Lucy hates you."_

She cackled, backing away.

"_She will always hate you."_ She taunted, smiling like that of a demon._ "And I will ensure that she kills you last."_

That tore it.

With a loud scream, the Doctor tried to tackle the Instinct, but the image faded out, and the Doctor tumbled and slid to the wall in the hallway, hitting his head.

He shot up, and ran back to his room. No one was there.

Nothing except a chilling, child-like laugh.

"_Look what you made me do..."_

Running down the hallway and nearly breaking his neck on the smooth flooring, Kouta stopped in the doorway, "H-Hey! What's going on?" He speaks up, flustered and half awake. "Did something happen?!"

Wide eyes flicked about as the Doctor tried to look for the murderous Instinct that _somehow_ got through. Was it only an image?

Could his mind have been playing tricks on him?

He knew that a Time Lord, when brought upon great mental stress, that even their great minds can conjure up images that aren't there. There were only a few times that a Time Lord's mind was fragile.

Moments after a Regeneration, or after the break of a mind delve.

The Doctor never expected that he _might _ have been hallucinating.

When Kouta's worried voice reached the Time Lord, the Doctor's head flicked to the boy.

"I..." He gripped his head, a dull pain starting gnaw at his skull. "I dunno. That shouldn't have been possible..."

Shaking his head, he quickly put on his shoes, and then donned his frock coat and scarf. He didn't take the time to coil it, as he just draped it on his shoulders, the ends dragging even more. He would then don his hat.

"It's not safe. I'm not safe." He said to himself, putting his hat on.

He then moved past Kouta. "Excuse me." The next thing he realized, was that he was running. The only best thing he knew.

"Uhh—?!"

Stepping out of the way, Kouta stood there for only a moment, the Doctor's words settling into his mind;

_It's not safe—_ _I'm not safe?_

Maybe, just to be sure of it—

He creeps down the hallway, peering into Nyu's room; the Diclonius was laying there sound asleep, in the same position that she had been in when the college boy helped her into bed. The possibility of Lucy scaring the Time Lord in the middle of the night had been ruled out.

With a sigh, Kouta goes to the coat rack near the front door, putting on a light jacket, but not minding shoes. At this point, he was so used to one of the others in the inn getting out in the middle of the night, that this was just another three o' clock incident.

"Hey…!"

The Doctor ran to the outside of the Inn, onto the Stone Steps that overlooked the Maple Inn.

The Time Lord looked up as he leaned against the wall. "The Instinct..." He said to himself. "She couldn't have gotten into my head like that..."

Kouta ran out, making his way down the steps until he reached the peak that would lead down to the ocean if he went far enough. The Doctor was pressed against the wall, appearing as if he had just ran a damned mile, exhausted. What could have possibly happened…?

"Doctor! What happened!? Are you alright? Did something bother you?"

The Doctor looked at Kouta as he showed concern. He rubbed his face with his palm. "I don't know what's going on right now, Kouta." He said. "Normally, this would sound as if it's a nightmare, but…"

He slid his hand off of his face, his arm dangling. "I just had a terrible dream. You, Yuka, and the others. You all died. Even my closest friends were mutilated in front of me. Friends I've known long before I met you."

The Doctor turned his back and sat down on the steps. "There were paintings of Gustav Klimt. You and the others replaced the calm characters in the paintings… Yet you were all in pain."

He took his hat off, and fiddled with it. "And… just now… a _beast_ just entered my room. It taunted of killing me. Of killing you, and everyone else on this planet. She even said Lucy…"

He couldn't bring himself to say it. There was _no way_ Lucy would hate him. _No way._ Not after all they had been through.

"I'm positive it was a hallucination, but…" He scrunched his eyes shut. "There are times where I hardly feel fear, Kouta. Fear for my friends, and fear for myself."

The Doctor sighed. "I was scared, Kouta. For the first time in a _long_ time, I was scared."

He was not all too sure how to process this information— for starters, Kouta had no idea who Gustav Klimt was, but from what the Doctor was explaining, he must be some sort of a famed artist. Furrowing his brows in thought, the college boy nods along as the older man continued on with the description of his horrific night terror.

It was almost out of character to see the shaken, pale face that the Time Lord was holding onto. Kouta had experienced nightmares in the past, reliving the murders of his sister and father— but the Doctor, he looked as if he had just confronted Lucifer himself, prepared to be damned for eternity.

"Geez… Sounds like you weren't sleeping too comfortably," he mentions offhandedly, looking down at the other as he sat down on the steps.

Upon the mentioning of the beast, the younger boy shakes his head, "You were definitely seeing things," Kouta starts, "because Nyu was fast asleep, I doubt that she would have stormed in in a fit of rage in the middle of the night…"

That was the only assumption that Kouta could make.

A beast.

Lucy, Nyu, whatever her name was— the girl that he knew all those years ago, she killed innocent people. _She was a monster_.

The Doctor's eyes widened. Did Kouta just call Lucy that "Beast" that the Doctor was talking about?

His head slowly turned to Kouta. _"_..._How dare you...?"_ He said in a low voice.

The next thing he realized, the Doctor had grabbed Kouta by the collar of his pajamas, and pulled him close to his face.

"How dare you insult my friend like that!?" He shouted in his face, his wide eyes showing nothing but fire and fury. "No, Lucy was _not_ the beast I was talking about, thank you very much! The very notion that you would even _consider_ that my friend would do something like that is absolutely absurd!"

He stood up, bringing Kouta with him, his grip tightening. "Lucy is a wonderful person, if only misunderstood! She is _not_ a monster, you hear!? NOT A MONSTER! SHE WOULD NEVER-..."

The Doctor stopped himself short, before he had realized what he had done. He was shouting at Kouta. A boy who seemed a bit timid in his own right, and he was treating him the same way Yuka would.

His grip loosened, before he stumbled back and planted his back on the stone wall again. His eyes focused on Kouta, before the diverted to the pavement, guilt taking over the Time Lord.

"...I'm so sorry, Kouta." He said.

Kouta's reflexes when it came to physical confrontations were piss poor— he froze up, practically blown back by the Doctor's sudden outburst. What had he said?! All he mentioned was that Nyu—

_That's right. He must see some other sort of personality, some other side of the Nyu that I haven't. It's the truth though! Nyu— Lucy— whatever her name is, she's caused so much grief and trouble, how am I supposed to not expect the worst?!_

The moment that the much taller man realized what he was doing, it looked like he felt terrible for snapping, stepping back and leaning against the dense stone walling. Raising his hands up in a dismissive fashion, Kouta shakes his head, though his tone was straight forward.

"… I don't know the sorta things that you've seen her do," he starts, "…It's clear that you care about N— Lucy," Kouta catches himself, "I know you do, but after witnessing everything that she's done, back to back, the promises that she's broken, and— and just— everything!"

He was almost at a loss for words.

"You're a good man, Doctor, but my opinion on Lucy isn't as golden as yours is, I can't come to trust her. And I probably never will."

The Doctor nodded, still overcome with guilt for snapping at the younger boy. He put his hat back on, as he sat back down on the steps. "I know." He said. "I know you think Lucy is a monster. And you have every reason to think so."

He lowered his head. "But in the short time I've known her, she's improved so much. She even helped a human out, and not once did she make an attempt to kill him." The Doctor looked ahead, with a small smile on his face. "She's seeing things the way I do. That life can be enjoyed, and silver linings _are_ there."

Kouta could only raise his eyebrows as he shook his head in disbelief. "Lucy helping a human… That sounds— that's unheard of," Kouta breaths.

"To you, yes." The Doctor said. "But not to me. People, even non-humans, can change, Kouta. It's just a matter of time really. I've seen it happen before."

The Time Lord frowned again. "But... when we came here, I feel that I made a mistake. She wasn't ready." Looking over to Kouta, who came to sit next to the Time Lord, he adjusted his hat. "Kouta. There was a reason why Lucy and I came here. But I didn't want to say it in front of everyone."

The Time Lord put a hand on Kouta's shoulder. "I..." He tried to bring himself to say it. That he knew Kouta's past. "I know what Lucy did. What she did to your family. To your sister... and your father." He shook his head, looking at Kouta in the eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Kouta." He said. "No one your age should have witnessed something like that. _No one_."

Taken aback. Just— taken aback. There were no words, no feelings, no verbalization, no reactions that Kouta felt at the moment. Nobody else knew about the murder of his father and sister. It had not been reported by request of the rest of his family. The entire point of rehabilitating Kouta, was so that he would not recall any of this horrible massacre.

Turned out, that had not worked too well. Relapse and memory recovery occurred at one of the worst possible moments. The boy had snapped at Lucy, telling her to get lost, and to never return.

_"For killing Kanae, and my father, I'll never forgive you."_

A thick, mucus-y gulp. Kouta's eyes soften, an all too miserable frown appearing on his face.

Was this guilt? Guilt for being angry at Lucy? Or was it subtle anger for not being upset in that moment?

"Did she… Did she tell you about it?"

If the Diclonius was willing to let somebody else know about her sins, she must want some form of reconciliation. And yet, when Lucy apologized up and down, Kouta still did not listen. Had he been too engulfed with turmoil?

The Doctor elicited a sigh. "No. She didn't tell me, Kouta. She showed me." Looking into the distance, he recalled his mind delve.

"You see, Kouta, Time Lords have telepathic capabilities, and thus we can look within people's minds. Their memories play out as if it were a performance, with only us as the observers. Lucy..." He sniffed. "Lucy has had the worst childhood I have ever seen. She had dealt with so much. And... to see that she did that to your family..."

He looked downward. "No one deserves to have their family ripped from them like that. Even _I_ know how it feels to have a family member gone, never to be seen again."

Kouta had yet to understand a lot of the information that the Doctor had been sharing since his arrival; time travel, moving around in police boxes, having more than one heart— it was all bonkers, really. And now he was talking about telepathy!

"You saw it…" The college boy responds, leaning forward with both arms on his knees, "I only vaguely remember a few things that Lucy had told me in the past, I can't really recall much— but, you saw both of them die?"

The Doctor closed his eyes. "Yes." He said in a quiet voice. "I saw everything."

A mournful sigh escapes his lips, lowering his head for a moment; all of this emotion was intensely baring down on Kouta's mind. Everything was coming back.

_NO! NO MORE! PLEASE STOP! STOP IT!_

The Doctor's hand then dove into his frock coat pocket, and it pulled out an old, black and white picture. On it was a teenage girl who had black hair, and a black and white striped shirt. He handed Kouta the picture.

Before Kouta could allow himself to zone out, the college boy snapped back into reality when the Doctor spoke up once more.

"Do you see this, Kouta?" The Time Lord asked. "This is Susan. She's my granddaughter."

Focusing in on the faded photograph, Kouta could not help but smile a little to himself.

"Susan? She looks like a very happy girl," he complimented. She had a certain glow to her that reminded Kouta of his younger sister. Kanae, as she was growing older, began to hold a certain sort of spunk, and a ton of personality.

The Doctor smiled. "Oh, certainly." He responded. "She was with me when we had both run away from Gallifrey, and had stayed on Earth for about five or so months. She was living a nice life amongst the humans, even though I never cared for them back then. You wouldn't know, but I was quite a grump during my younger days." He chuckled as he thought of his first incarnation.

"Nothing bad had happened to her, and she is very much alive. However..." He looked downward. "I had to leave her behind. She found someone to fall in love with, and I couldn't allow her to follow me. She deserved happiness, and a life."

He then began to recall to Kouta the moment he left Susan after the Dalek's Invasion of Earth.

"_Listen, Susan, please. I've double locked the doors, you can't get in. Now, move back child, where I can see you."_

A girl and a man stood in front of the TARDIS, Susan backing up to where the Doctor could see her. The Time Lord, once a grumpy old man, looked at Susan's image.

"_...During all the years..."_ The First Doctor began. _"...I've been taking care of you. And you in return have been taking care of me."_

"_But Grandfather, I belong with you!"_ Susan cried.

"_Not any longer, Susan. You're still my grandchild, and always will be. But now, you're a woman too."_

Susan and the man, David, looked at the blue box as the Doctor continued. _"I want you to belong somewhere, to have roots of your own. With David, you'll be able to find those roots, and live normally like any woman should do."_

He sighed, as he grabbed the lapels of his coat. _"Believe me, my dear, your future lies with David. And not with a silly old buffer like me." _The elder Time Lord looked downward, before looking back up at the screen. _"One day... I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. Until then... there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all of your beliefs, and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine."_

The Doctor smiled at his granddaughter, before frowning and flipping a lever on the console.

"_Goodbye, Susan. Goodbye, my dear."_

With that, the TARDIS dematerialized in front of Susan, her image fading out into the Time Vortex.

The Doctor adjusted his hat, shielding his face. "I never saw Susan again, Kouta." He said. "I left her behind because I didn't want to put her into any more danger, and to let her have a life that I cannot have. If anyone deserved happiness, it's her. Even now, I can't bear the thought of losing her like you did your family."

He chuckled, before taking off his hat, and looking at the full moon. What Kouta could notice, was a fresh tear down the Time Lord's cheek.

"To think, Kouta. You're probably one of the few people who has ever seen a Time Lord cry."

He could not help but feel an aching sense of empathy for the Doctor. It was not natural to witness him in such a state; just earlier, several hours before, he was smiling and carrying on with Nana and Mayu. Then again, Kouta realized that this was a man of extremes. Either he would be extremely happy, extremely sad, or, rather angry, as he had been with Yuka.

And Kouta could only imagine the sorts of emotions that had been bubbling up in his mind ever since Lucy stepped into his life. Despite the way in which the Time Lord spoke of the horned one, Kouta knew very well that being in Lucy's presence resulted in some of the most intense flashes of moods that could ever be conceived.

She was extraordinary.

And thus, those around her would feel that immense pressure, whether they realized it or not.

"Letting somebody go is sometimes the best thing to do, if you want them to be safe," Kouta frowns, leaning on his elbow, "…Maybe that's one of the reasons I was so ready to let Lucy go. I was angry at her. I still am. But if she hung out around here, she would get caught. I don't know much about the place she came from, but the look in her face whenever those men showed up, it…"

He sits up, back cracking, ". . .There's still a lot of guilt that I hold, when it comes to Kanae's death. I was so mean to her before she died… If I had known that it was going to be her final minutes there on that train, I wouldn't have yelled at her." A hand reaches up, covering his face, "I wouldn't have said that I hated her… And now I can't take— I can't take any of that back."

Wiping the tear from his face, the Doctor looked at Kouta, who covered his face in remorse. He scooted a little closer, and put a comforting arm around Kouta.

"I don't doubt that you loved your sister, and that she loved you." He said. "When you hear that someone you've befriended has caused something as atrocious as murder, it's hard to believe at first. But, I don't think anything could have stopped Lucy from killing her, as painful as it is for me to say."

He sighed. "You're right not to forgive Lucy. You're even in the right to be angry at her. But you must understand, I've seen her make an improvement of herself. She may not say it outright, but she _wants_ to change. She doesn't want to be a killer anymore."

The Doctor took his arm off of Kouta, and weaved his hands together. "Lucy, before she met you, never had a happy childhood. Her reasoning for hating humanity was rooted in how she was treated when she was young. She was bullied, and treated like an animal. You should know the old adage as well as I do, Kouta, 'When you push a man too far, sooner or later, he'll start pushing back.'"

The Time Lord closed his eyes. "She's a broken person, Kouta." He continued. "To someone who's broken, existence can lose its value. Life or death wouldn't matter. When you're broken, you think of yourself as a tiny, restless soul. Lucy, at that age, only encountered people who would much rather inflict pain, rather than put an end to it. I've seen it myself, numerous times. But I always stepped in.

No one did for Lucy. No one."

He opened his eyes again, and looked at the starry sky.

"And with unwiped tears, she became a monster to be feared by all mankind."

A quiet air was held for a moment, allowing the Doctor's words to fester and grow in meaning; Kouta did recall the girl that he played with all those years ago acting as if she was lost. Not lost, literally, but in the sense that she had absolutely no clue what to do with this world. The boy had come across many lonely, awkward children back at his school on the playground, and often times befriended them. To Kouta, this was normal— but what he would not realize until it was too late, was that the extent of the horned girl's misery resulted in the deaths of many.

But who could ever guess that the orphan would grow to become a killer?! Not even grow, she was only nine when the first blood was shed, ruthless and grisly—

_Or was it desperation and anxiety that drove Lucy's need to murder?_

All Kouta saw as a child was an angry girl, so quick to shield those fascinating horns atop her head.

A girl who found comfort in the music box that he adored so.

"… It still doesn't justify killing my family," Kouta would eventually speak up, "nothing will. Her past explains her actions, though. It's something I could never understand, so I won't even try to pretend. I don't know what it's like to be a different species in a world of people."

Picking the lint off of his shirt, the college boy had grown extremely quiet, still in doubt of all of this.

"You said that Lucy wants to change… Are you sure she's being serious?"

It was a legitimate question, for Kouta _just could not envision that_.

The Doctor looked at Kouta. He still doesn't believe him, but it seems like he is starting to understand. True to what he had told the Diclonius, humans never forget those that have wronged them. They're a species that holds grudges, as far as he was concerned.

No wonder Lucy was much like them. She had a prepetual grudge against a race because of being different.

"Kouta, let me tell you something." The Doctor began. "I'm sure you understand, just from one look at my TARDIS, that I travel the stars, yes?"

Kouta nodded in response. "Well, yeah. I kind of figured out that one, Doctor." He said, almost jokingly.

"I have had my fair share of enemies during my travels, and each time I faced them, I offered them a second chance. A chance for redemption. A chance to better themselves. A chance to change."

The Time Lord shook his head. "No one took my chance of mercy, and some have tried to kill me. In the end, they became my enemies and I had to stop them." He turned his head, and looked into the distance. "When I had met Lucy, she killed three children and a police officer. She could have ended my life when we met, and I could have done the same."

He half-smiled. "She never pulled the trigger, so to speak."

The Doctor faced Kouta again. "In all of my travels, I've met killers that would do nothing except kill, with little regard for anyone's advice. They never listened to me. Lucy, on the other hand, had taken my offer of redemption, and we had become fast friends."

He scooted a little closer, still looking Kouta in the eye. "She's not as heartless as you might think. Lucy still has an opportunity to change herself. When she had talked about you, she always spoke about you in a positive light, but lamented the fact that she can't change the past, and that maybe, _just maybe_, Kanae and your father would have liked her."

He looked downward, with a frown. "I know she is serious in wanting to change Kouta, because when she spoke of rehabilitating herself…" The Doctor looked back up at the boy. "She said that you were the first stepping stone in achieving that. I know nothing can justify killing your family, Kouta." He said as he took the photograph of Susan from Kouta's hand.

"And Lucy knows that you will never forgive her. But there's only one thing that she wants you to grant her."

Kouta looked at the Doctor with a tilted head. "And... what could that be, Doctor?"

"Absolution."

She was not looking for forgiveness, as much as she wished to be absolved? Kouta could practically feel his own heart being torn at, imagining the lifeless, teary eyed face of his younger sister, her torso severed from the rest of her tiny body on the floor of the train. There was not even proper time to mourn that loss before his father was next— how would those two feel, had he gifted their kill absolution?

Shut his eyes tightly, the college boy reclines back, running both hands down his face, deep in thought; an attempt was being made at recreating the voices of his fallen family members— oh it had been so long since he'd heard those carefree chimes.

_"We forgive people who wrong us, Kouta, as much as it hurts at first. It's right to forgive them. Holding a grudge for too long turns you sour."_

He recalls what his father had told the boy one day after school, where another student in his class tripped up Kouta for the sake of a laugh. Such rude bullies they were, simply looking to get a rise out of the smarter boy.

"But dad they were so mean! Can't I just push them back?!"

_"That would make you just as bad! C'mon Kouta, you wouldn't want to be like that."_

Kouta remains there in silence, not even noticing the that both hands had dropped into his lap, face revealed once more. When he thought about it, his father would have wished for his son to forgive— and though he was incapable of that, the next best thing would be absolution. A husky sigh, and the college boy leans forward, speaking aloud to himself.

"To think, all of this happened because I accidentally dropped a souvenir in front of some lonely girl on a walk home. . ."

Lilium.

The meaning of the souvenir immediately brought the Doctor into a somber mood.

"The music box?" He asked. "Yes... I recall that particular memory of Lucy's. The so-called 'root' in taming her inner beast."

He looked upward. "Lilium was the name of that song, Kouta." He said. "I actually heard it quite some time ago." The Time Lord shook his head. "I don't like it. That song... it's far too painful to listen to, even without knowing Lucy."

He sighed. "I wish that song never came to existence. Songs are meant to bring joy in cultures and societies, much like a dance between two people. Not blanket their thoughts in total darkness."

The Doctor looked at Kouta, who was glancing at him with a perplexed look. "Tell me, Kouta. Out of all of the music boxes that were made on this planet, why in the name of Rassilon would you choose _Lilium?_"

Both hands raises up, waving them along with his head. How could it be painful to listen to if nobody even knew the damned language? Next to nobody studied the Latin language in this day and age, unless they were scholars. And just how in the world would a young Kouta sniffing around in a consignment shop realize what the meaning of a simple music box melody would be?

"That thing always seems to be biting me in the butt! I just picked it out because I liked the song, I thought it was pretty! Hmh. Wow. Now that I think about it, had I listened to Yuka and Kanae, and bought one with a different song—"

…What would have happened if Kouta had chosen a completely different souvenir? Would his family still be alive?

An even darker thought— would Lucy have been any different? A variety of things could have had a different outcome. Maybe the Diclonius would have found peace on her own, and halted the killing. But what if listening to Lilium had assisted the horned one in trying to calm her mind? She could have very well gone insane in the facility, had the simple notes of that music box not helped her hold onto that list bit of hope.

To think.

To think that a wind up music box had such an effect on so many lives, all because the boy had dropped it by accident, at the right time.

The Doctor looked at Kouta, with just a perplexed look as the one the boy gave him. "You really don't know what that song is about, do you?" He asked. "What the real meaning and message is behind Lilium?"

Kouta only shook his head. "Well, no." He said. "But the lyrics are Latin, Doctor. And how would I know what it meant when I was young? I told you. I just thought it was a pretty song." Kouta rubbed his forehead, before looking back at the Doctor. "What's it mean, Doctor?" He asked.

The Time Lord sighed. "It's not a very uplifting song, as I'm sure you are aware." He said. "But the lyrics behind it are just as depressing as the melody behind it."

He inspected his hat, as he explained to Kouta the song. "Lilium is a song that is mostly about finding peace and sanctum. About how serene, how kind, and how sacred it would be to feel at peace. But, the tone of the lyrics and the melody treat it as an unrequited objective. Something longed for, but will never be obtained."

He recited some of the English lyrics, not in song, but in spoken form.

"_The mouth of the just shall meditate wisdom  
And his tongue shall speak judgment  
Blessed is he who endures temptation  
Since he, who shall have been tested, shall receive the crown of life _

_Lord, fountain of goodness  
Lord, fire divine, have mercy _

_Oh how sacred,  
How serene,  
How kind,  
How lovely,  
To be the trusted Virgin_

Oh how sacred,  
how serene,  
how kind,  
how lovely,  
Oh, lily of chastity"

The Doctor shook his head as he had finished his recital. "You can see why I have such a distaste for it, Kouta." He said, before eliciting a chuckle. "_Lord, fire divine, have mercy,_" The Doctor repeated. "How fitting for Lucy's downward spiral before we met."

He closed his eyes again, before putting his hat back on, shielding his face. "Ever since you exposed her to that song, Kouta, she's treated that as her mantra. She's thought of her inner peace and cleansing of her evil side an unobtainable thing."

The Doctor clenched an end of his scarf. "She doesn't deserve any more pain." He said quietly. "She has suffered enough. It's time that something good happened to her for once..."

And that was possibly the very last thing that Kouta could have imagined that melody to mean— to the boy, it was just a pretty song that he had found by pure chance, and thought that the horned girl from years ago would have enjoyed listening to it with him. Never would he have thought that it's words were laced with horrid intentions. Frowning, he sighs, "Sounds like I just keep screwing up somehow. I must've been born unlucky. I just try to help people, and they end up hurting me in the meantime. I didn't mean to do any of that to Lucy! It was just— it was just a nice song— five little notes! I can still remember it sort of."

He leans back, trying to recall the opening to the Lilium music box, playing with a few sounds on his tongue before settling on— "La **la** la, _la la_. No, that's not right, it was more like—"

Just as he made another attempt at finishing the song, a chill shoots up the boy's spine, as a phantom completes his wish instead.

"La_ la laaaa_…_La la_…"

An elongated pause, as Kouta's eyes fall upon the stoic form of the now awakened Diclonius, that very music box held in her hands, her face distant, troubled.

"… Na na na… _Na na na na_… _Na_… _naa_… _naaa_ … _naaaa_…"

Twisting the gear underneath of the music box once, twice, three times, four times and opening the lid, the melody pours out of the mechanism, finishing off the notes that had been lost to memory.

The Doctor's eyes widened at the sudden playing of the notes of Lilium. He looked over to Kouta, who looked as if he had just seen a ghost. The color of his face turning white from fear, his hands trembling.

Rising up, the Doctor puts a comforting hand on Kouta's shoulder, before the boy turned, as if he were telling the Time Lord to run.

The Doctor only smiled warmly at the boy.

With a pat on Kouta's shoulder, the Doctor slowly climbed the steps before coming close to the elder Diclonius, as she made her way down the steps, as well, the chimes of Lilium ringing through the night.

With a steady hand, as he approached closer, he lightly closed the music box, shutting off the music, before the horned creature looked up at the Time Lord, dahlia hues matching gaze with the wide eyes of the Doctor.

A smile formed, as the Doctor couldn't be happier than to say one simple thing.

"Welcome back, Lucy."

Here they were, once again, standing on those steps, for the third time— the boy and the beast.

Both shattered souls, scrambling to pick the pieces off of the ground before they combined together.

Lucy's expression, usually cold and calculated, was more so reserved, melancholic and topped off with a frown. Just down the steps, Kouta's hostility was screaming at him to get out of there, before he could feel that familiar regret and anger again.

"It's you again…" Was all that Kouta would be able to manage.

Holding the music box in both hands, it was silenced as soon as the Time Lord made is way over to the newly awoken Diclonius, glancing up at him without a single word. Her expression was enough, showcasing her emotions.

"… _Kouta_."

Her voice, so helpless— where was the ruthless, invisible monster that everybody knew as the Kamakura Killer? Where was the calm stature, void of any sort of woe?

No tears.

Only silence.

The Doctor could feel the tension in the air as Kouta and Lucy looked at each other, not knowing what to say. Both had had quite a history together, so it was no wonder that they were feeling apprehensive toward one another.

Kouta had every right to be angry at Lucy. He had every right not to forgive her.

But Lucy... Lucy wanted to change.

For the better.

Stepping aside, and keeping a hand on Lucy's shoulder, the Doctor looked at Kouta, who was still in a state of confusion, anger, and fear.

"Take a look at Lucy, Kouta." He said. "I know that beforehand, she was a ruthless killer, devoid of emotion, remorse, and _any_ sort of kindness. In your eyes, Lucy is a monster, who knows nothing of happiness, and the joy of life. All she sees is darkness, and takes solitude in bloodshed."

"But, I, Kouta... I see a wonderful creature." He hugged Lucy close. "I see a life form who can improve herself, and can benefit not only herself, but toward others, too. I've seen many monsters, Kouta. Some that were as ruthless as Lucy. But as I told you, they never wanted to see my side, and they had to be dealt with. Lucy, however, is a different story."

"The monsters I've seen felt little remorse. But take a look at this person, and tell me."

The Doctor looked at Lucy, and wiped a tear off of her cheek.

"Do monsters weep for what they have done?"

Once upon a time, the very thought of hugging the beast would be suicidal, to say the least. Sympathy for the devil is frowned upon. Why offer mercy for a sinner? Is this really what God intended? To love thy neighbor, even when their hands are dirtied with the blood of your fallen brother?

Her eyes fall shut— Lucy cannot even bear to look at the human boy in the face, terrified of this entire situation. Here she stands, perfectly capable of killing Kouta and forgetting all of this. Instead, she chooses to fight through this, to see the better side of life.

Kouta's frown remains in tact, listening to the Doctor's point of view, and watching the trembling Diclonius cling onto that damned music box.

Why? _Why?_ _WHY_ was that OBJECT so **important** to her?

"…Heh," the college boy awkwardly forces a smile, rubbing the back of his head, "I… I see you still have that thing."

Almost immediately, Lucy's head snaps up, eyes wide.

"I never lost this!" Her voice rises, holding the box to her chest, head dropping once more, "It's the only thing that reminds me that I'm not completely bad… I-It… I-It brings me back to that warm summer day, when we went to the zoo… And swam in the river… A-and watched the sun set on …O-On these VERY steps! And when we sang that song together… Happy… I-I…"

The monster's eyes welled up…

"I was so happy that day, Kouta…" Lucy's voice cracks and trembles.

Taken aback, Kouta watches the once distant, strong Diclonius crumble, right in front of his eyes, like a wall. Back then, he thought that Lucy was just exaggerating when she said that it had been the best day of her entire life. That she was just in a great mood… But from the looks of it… That could very well had been the only time that she felt that there was a friend by her side.

"You're crying … I've never seen you this upset before," the boy speaks lowly, his expression solemn, "… Your face was empty, the day that you killed Kanae and my father… How can you cry like this now, compared to the heartless personality back then?"

Lucy shuts her eyes again, catching her breath.

"Th-That wasn't me…!" She calls out, "…I-I mean, it was me, but… The one who made me do it— it wasn't… My intention to hurt you."

"Kouta, perhaps I should help explain." The Doctor speaks up, slowly walking down the steps with Lucy as they made their way closer to Kouta.

"Lucy, when she met you, is how I always see her. She may not be human by physical and biological means, but she still has emotions. She proved that to me with her earlier memories of you. It was one of the few moments I have ever truly seen her happy. But, she's right. When she had killed your sister and father, it wasn't her, per se."

The Time Lord pointed to her temple, near her horn. "Lucy has a voice in her mind. A "Killer's Instinct", if you will, that's been implanted in her mind since birth. It is her driving force to kill. It outright _goads her_ to spill blood. And when she doesn't, _it berates her and causes her to think herself as inferior._"

The Doctor widened his eyes. "...And when I delved into Lucy's mind... _that very Instinct almost killed me_."

He rubbed his temple, and sighed. "You must believe me, Kouta. Lucy wants to change, and she had told me that all that she wanted out of her life... was a friend."

The Doctor nodded. "You were her first _childhood_ friend. And she still treasures the memories she has of you two, prior to her murdering your family. Please believe me, Kouta. I _would never_ bring someone like Lucy face to face with you unless they knew what they did was wrong. Lucy knows you won't grant her forgiveness, but she wants to be absolved for what she did. And I know it's a tall order to fill, Kouta."

The Doctor found another tear falling down his cheek as he tried to compose himself. "Lucy is a wonderful person." His voice cracked. "A creature who is not totally evil, but plagued by evil against her will. Lucy is not a monster."

He blinked, as more tears fell, his voice still cracking.

"Lucy is my _friend_."

As if on queue, as the Doctor began to preach about the horrific entity within Lucy's mind, the Instinct steps in and begins to make a presence in the back of her mind. Spectral arms wrap around the neck of the Diclonius, chuckling softly with a dark smile.

_"I love all of the attention I am receiving. It shows how great of a job we've been doing. Though I never expected to become apparent to so many people… Any attention is better than none, isn't it? Everybody will know about me eventually when I take a hold of this place… Isn't that right? You and I are _**one**_."_

Distress fills out Kouta's face as he listened to this information, not all that sure to feel about Lucy's murdering being pinned on some sort of mental illness— now, the boy was not too intelligent when it came to these sorts of things, and could only imagine that this girl was schizophrenic, of some sort, not aware that it was far more than a personality disorder. The Instinct, at this point, had been underestimated.

"I am not going to force you to forgive my actions, Kouta…" Her abysmal expression remains, finally pulling enough courage to look at her old friend directly in the eyes, "If you just want me to leave… I can do that… Though, I was told that Nana and Mayu did miss me… Kouta… I know that you much prefer Nyu over myself… She is much more nice to be around," she gives an empty smile, "and even you admitted that she was a member of your family… Look at me here. I have made both of my friends upset."

The Doctor was tearing up, and as far as she knew, Kouta still did not understand. Maybe it was time for her to leave. Perhaps—

"—This isn't just about Nyu," Kouta speaks up firmly, strengthening himself and stepping closer to the Diclonius, "Nyu isn't the girl that I met all that time ago. Yes, I may have come to know her better, but— but you're important too, Lucy… Come to think of it, this is the first time I have ever heard your real name."

Lucy's expression goes into shock briefly as the boy stepped closer, but quickly faltered back, listening to what he had to say in silence.

Wiping his face, the Doctor moved in between Kouta and Lucy. "He's right. You _are_ important, Lucy." He said. "And don't be a fool. You never once made me upset. In fact, I never wept for my friends like this."

He put a hand on both of their shoulders. "You've _always _been important, Lucy." He said. "And you shouldn't pay any mind as to what anyone says otherwise. What was it that you told me in the TARDIS earlier today? 'Just because something is born with the purpose of bringing misfortune, does not mean that they are destined to keep such a path'?"

The Doctor smiled at the Diclonius. "Look at you. You could have vanquished Kouta in front of me without a second thought."

He then turned to the boy. "And had I not been here, this situation would turn out far worse, wouldn't it?" He asked Kouta. "You two already have a history together, and I can see in each of you that you still see the good in each other."

Eyes traveled down to the dainty hands of the Diclonius; "_You… You are correct… I have it within my power— and I have it within my inner turmoil, I could have easily put on a visage, turning this entire meeting into one of destruction and relapse— and normally? Normally I WOULD have done that…_"

No truer words ever came from Lucy's voice.

"But you didn't," the college boy speaks up, his harsh, stressed expression finally softening into one of acceptance and understanding.

For a monster?

No.

For an old friend. This meeting was more than just a beast making amends with one of her victims.

"—You chose not to end it all, I guess you really do want to look past all of this…" Kouta's lips curve into a subtle smile. And in that very moment, two old friends would share a comforting embrace, masking away any sort of cold chill that the air would have offered; Lucy's eyes flashed wide open as soon as she was taken into his arms, not entirely sure how to digest what was going on.

—Perhaps it was better to simply… Accept.

The Doctor would usually join in on the hug, but he felt that it wasn't necessary right now. Two people, once formerly bitter, and socially linked to only a different personality, that being Nyu, are in the process of reconciliation.

It was a sight to behold for the Doctor, to see Lucy's cold demeanor melt away as the two embraced as old friends long apart. The hope was shining brighter for Lucy's future.

Bright as the stars he had seen during his travels. And he couldn't have been any more proud.

"Lucy, while I wouldn't ever be able to just outright forgive you for what you have done, it's very obvious just how much guilt you have. I guess— I guess I feel big enough to pardon that now. I've let my whole life revolve around the past, and if we're going to expect you to change, then I have to as well…" Kouta's eyes narrow a little, trying to fight off welling tears that threatened to fall.

"That's what friends are for, I assume…" the Diclonius manages ever so softly to herself, her pale face buried into Kouta's shoulder. All of this, it was so surreal.

The apology.

The acceptance.

The borderline forgiveness— it felt as if she had been freed from thousands of chains, able to walk without it bearing down on her in a constant burden.

The Doctor smiled.

That was it. This was what he hoped Lucy could achieve from Kouta.

Absolution.

And he could tell from Kouta. He had absolved Lucy of the horrible atrocities she committed all of those years ago. Just as he saw her bury her face in Kouta's shoulder, he could tell that she was happy.

Happiness. Some say that monsters can never be happy unless they wreak havoc.

With the Doctor, though, _anything_ can happen. Even a monster can change for the better.

After witnessing Lucy's absolving, the hug continued between the two of them. They needed some time alone together. Adjusting his hat, the Doctor made his way back up the Stone Steps to the Maple Inn. After one last glance behind him, he saw that they were still embracing. Turning back, he walked up to the Inn, retreating back inside.

The two reconciled friends would spend a good while sitting on the steps, speaking to one another, learning about their true selves, and coming to understand the situation that they were now in. Lucy spoke with a smile that was nothing but true, her tone almost frantic, gasping for air— the air of normality, and happiness.

No matter, as the Doctor would find himself coming indoors, the young silpelit of the house had awoken as well to fetch a glass of water in the middle of the night. Bare feet pad against the floor, her tired face looking over.

"O-Oh… It's so late, what're you doing up, sir?" Nana speaks in a soft whisper.

The Doctor smiled at the young, tired Diclonius. "Hello, Nana." He said. "Just a few things had come up. And..." He leaned against the wall and took his hat off.

"I think Lucy is going to be alright now. Nyu isn't taking over her mind, and she's talking with Kouta right now."

He looked at the door. "I think they're going to have a lot to talk about."

Benevolence emits from Nana's expression as the pious silpelit smiles gently, eyes lidded in understanding.

Not many people realized that beneath the childish, playful personality that the youthful girl held, was a thoughtful and knowledgable individual, and for quite some time, she knew that Lucy would come around. Even though the Original One was known for her cut-throat lifestyle and muddy past, Nana could envision the day in which the beast would finally rest.

And that day had arrived. Though of course… A happy ending is illogical. This was far from the end— nay, it was the beginning of another chapter in the book. Even though the last one ended on a good note, the silpelit knew just what kind of dangers still existed.

"I knew she'd come around," Nana piped up quietly, "I knew one day that Lucy-san would be happy again… Do you think she'll be happy for long?"

The Doctor chuckled a bit. "I've no idea, Nana." He said. "Who can really say how long she'll be happy? That's up for her to decide. Whether she wants to stand up and changer herself, or travel back down the road she stained with the blood of her previous victims."

He looked down at the young Diclonius. "Whatever the case, I'm going to ensure that she remains happy when she's with me. She deserves so much of it."

Nana's slim fingers clung to her night shirt, a precious smile appearing on her face. How incredible it was, knowing that there was a chance for Lucy to maybe even live in harmony with humans! It was all so great.

"I-I… I sure hope so!" The smile cracked into a full grin, her eyes even beginning to water, "There's… So many wonderful things in the world… So many good things." Nana stared off into the distance for a moment, allowing her words to settled before snapping out of it, bashfully wiping her eyes with a nearly silent 'sorry', turning and retreating back to her bed.

* * *

The two of them had sat down on the stone steps, speaking about... well, anything. That was the beauty of it. A human and a Diclonius, communicating freely among one another, without any sort of prejudice.

"Hehe..." Kouta chuckled. "We watched the sunset on these steps, all those years ago. It feels just like old times, doesn't it Lucy?"

The Pinkette nodded solemnly. "Yes." She said. "It feels... nice. To relive such a wonderful memory I've experienced so long ago."

Kouta had been lost in the moment, rekindling his relationship with Lucy. Never in a million years would he thought it to be easy to share a happy moment with the lone Diclonius. Now, here they were, on the steps, as if they were children once again.

Kouta leaned on his hands, watching the stars. "Can I ask you something, Lucy?" He asked.

Lucy looked at the boy. "What is it?"

He sighed. "The Doctor. He told me of the time you two met. Did you... did you seriously almost try to kill him?"

Lucy's eyes trailed down in guilt. Had the Doctor not scorned her for what he did, he probably would have been another victim.

"Almost." She said, after a bit of silence. "I _almost_ ended his life there. That man seems to have a habit with dancing with the devil... and _living_ to tell the tale."

Kouta shook his head. "I'm kinda jealous. He has more courage than even me."

Lucy nodded, closing her eyes. "Maybe even more than me, as well." She said. "Though, had I taken his life, I never would have been granted this opportunity to be reunited with you, Yuka, and everyone else. He's the reason I'm here in the first place."

She looked back at Kouta, with a single tear in her eye. "It has only been a few days, Kouta, and I _already_ owe the Doctor my life."

Kouta smiled at Lucy. "I guess he really does see the good in you." He said. "I never believed him, at first. But I can clearly tell that his judgment in you isn't misplaced."

Lucy sighed in content. "Me too."

Though, in the back of her mind, a small child-like voice could be heard.

"_Is it? He still doesn't know the REAL you. He will soon enough..."_

"It's very late." Kouta spoke up out of the blue.

"Hmh… It is. Perhaps we should call it a night… We've probably woken people up with all of this talking." Lucy admitted.

"I'm sure Yuka has all sorts of plans for us in the morning." the boy sighed, almost in a stressed manner.

"Yeah..." she smiled with out realizing, "Us…" Both of them stood from the steps, walking up towards the house, close to each other.

For a brief moment, Lucy had slipped into a state of content.

And the horns atop her head were forgotten.

* * *

The Doctor had retreated to his room shortly after his conversation with Nana. He closed the door behind him as he shed his scarf, hat and coat, setting them back on the chair and desk. As he slipped his shoes off, he looked over at K-9.

He shook his head. To think that he was shouting for his pet not too long ago out of fear. Knowing K-9, he didn't detect any threats, hence why he was still silent. But... had that been real...

The Doctor went over and gave K-9 a pet on the head. "I'm alright, if you're wondering, K-9." He said as the robotronic was still silent. "Just know that if anything were to happen to me, I know that the first thing you would do is help me. After all, you are my best friend." He gave the dog a pat, as he smiled.. "Sleep well, K-9."

The Time Lord slipped back under the covers of his bed, and closed his eyes, reflecting on the entire incident between Kouta and Lucy. Just as he told K-9. Today was very eventful, indeed.

* * *

It wouldn't be long before a subtle sound resonates through the guest room; Lucy stands behind the door, wondering whether or not she should bother the sleeping man. He MUST be exhausted, and required the rest. It was no lie, though, that the Diclonius was shaken from the entire confrontation with the family. Sleeping by herself would be troublesome, and possible invoke nightmares.

Nightmares? Since when did she worry about this? It could possibly be Nyu influencing her JUST enough.

Figuring that the knock wouldn't be loud enough to wake the Time Lord, she gradually opens the door, stepping in and standing there for a moment, before deciding on allowing one single vectors to slip out, lightly poking the side of his face.

"Doctor…"

The Doctor's eyes scrunched as he felt something press against his face. "Nyu..." He said, sitting up. "You should be in bed-" He then noticed that standing in the doorway was _not_ who she expected. "Oh..." He then flashed a toothy grin to the Diclonius. "Hello, Lucy!" He said as jovial as ever. "Sorry, I thought you were Nyu when I felt something poke my face."

He brought his knees closer to him. "Is something the matter? Did everything go okay between you and Kouta?"

Dusky eyes remained lidded, staring at her surroundings for a moment before looking down directly at the resting Time Lord, "Uhm— yes, yes it did," the Diclonius speaks up, shifting her weight onto her right leg, "I am… Simply wondering if you would mind—"

A hand reaches to the back of her neck, rubbing it lightly as she spoke, "… If I slept in your room tonight? I had a rather bad dream… And I want to get some proper rest."

The Doctor's toothy grin then formed a warm, genuine smile as the Diclonius shuffled her feet in the doorway, like that of a young child. He couldn't help but softly chuckle at Lucy's child-like tendencies.

"I don't mind in the slightest, Lucy." The Doctor said. "Do you need me to retrieve your bedding?"

Not another word came from her mouth as she sighed in relief, walking right into the room and sitting on her knees next to the Doctor's bedding, rubbing her eyes lightly and looking over at K-9.

"K-9, could you move over a little? I need some room." Lucy's intentions were to bunk with the Doctor and his robotic friend— it was a cold enough night to allow it.

"K-9's on standby, Lucy. He can't respond right now." The Doctor said. "Here. Move over a bit." He then scooted over and slid K-9 over just a few inches so Lucy could squeeze inbetween the Doctor and his pet.

"There we are." He said, getting back to his spot on the bed. "You sure you don't want me to get your bedding?" The Doctor asked. "I don't want to pull the covers off of you without realizing."

Reclining back, the Diclonius allowed a light yawn, lidding her eyes and laying her head down. It had felt like ages since she had been on this floor, resting under this very roof. Most of the time, it had been Nyu filling the role, though there were a handful of nights that Lucy herself had stared aimlessly at the ceiling— wondering, pondering.

Her thoughts returned after a moment, "—-Mh, no, I'm fine," Lucy allowed her eyes to fully shut, reevaluating that day's events.

The Doctor could only smile lightly as Lucy laid on her back, attempting to slip into a slumber. Reclining back himself, he rested his hand on his head, looking at his companion.

"You really _do_ seem to be only a child at heart, Lucy." He said, chuckling. "It's nice to see this side of you starting to emerge." Lucy looked up at him with one eye open. "I'm proud of you for taking the courage to do what you needed to do tonight."

He poked the tip of her nose. "Know that I'll _always _be proud of you." The Time Lord winked at the Diclonius. "I'm sure Nyu is too."

A trace of a smile was apparent on Lucy's lips when her nose was tapped, though the darkness of the room kept it concealed. "Courage…? If that is the word you want to use." It was the first time that the Diclonius ever felt secure in the household— a Goliath weight had been lifted off of her shoulders; peace had finally been etched between herself and Kouta, The very reason that Lucy had decided on going on with life… Her goal had been obtained.

Nyu could even hear the Doctor's appraisal, standing just at the edge of the great outstretch of landscape within the Diclonius' mentality. Grinning and giggling like a spoiled child, the more innocent of the two faded out of Lucy's consciousness for the moment.

_'Lucy can rest by herself tonight! Nyu…!'_

* * *

Kouta could hear the dulled sound of the two's conversation as he walked by, pausing to listen in for a moment before going on and returning to his own room.

"Still can't believe this," the college boy sighed, exhausted as he removed his short and tossed it aside, "maybe they'll sleep better than me at least."

* * *

"It's a well deserved word, Lucy." The Doctor said. "You may not realize it, but you showed a great amount of it tonight. And for that, I'm proud of you."

Taking the covers, he lifted them to where they covered up to Lucy's neck. "Sleep well, Lucy." He said, brushing the bangs out of her face. "Tomorrow's a new day for you. A new, brighter day."

Shuffling over, he rested his head on the pillow, and closed his eyes. Hopefully, there wouldn't be anymore nightmares, or any hallucinations tonight. What had happened was just _too_ perfect to spoil. He could only hope Lucy's Instinct allowed _this_ victory tonight.

Lucy deserved this. She deserved it so much.

And ten minutes later, the Time Lord was fast asleep.

"Sleep well, Doctor…" Lucy's words were transient, fading into the aging night as sleep claimed her mind—well deserved sleep, if it were up to her opinion. Much like a stitched doll, the horned one's body would not stir at all, feeding on the spoils of rest.

* * *

"It's nearly three?" Kouta complained to himself, just under his breath in order to not wake anybody; Yuka's room was just across the hallway, and if she were to be woken up due to his own troubles—Kouta would be in a world of hurt. Laying down, the college boy would make a second attempt at a good night's rest, knowing very well just how much there was to do in the morning. Nyu—err, Lucy, would require to be reintegrated into the household. Nana would more than likely beg both Yuka and Kouta to go to the beach, as a sort of celebration for the family's reunion. And if Nana gets excited, Mayu does as well.

"Ghh—thinking about how busy I'll be tomorrow is just keeping me up!" He scolds himself, placing the bed pillow over his head in an attempt to smother his face, "Sleep… Please…"

His wish would be granted shortly; ten minutes pass, and Kouta finally succumbs to the sandman, falling into the realm of dreams…

* * *

Bright eyes shoot open; Kouta would find himself sitting at a park bench, surrounded by the falling petals of the sakura trees. Children are running around with their peers, climbing over the play sets and swinging to-and-fro on the swing set. Chattering and giggling with youthful innocence.

"Kouta!** KOUTA!** Big brother!" A soprano voice calls out from across the park, an equally tiny girl leaping and waving, trying to catch the attention of the older male; what appears to be a red ribbon is tied in the girl's hair, a stuffed, worn out rabbit held in her free arm.

Once attention is focused on the girl, Kouta's eyes widen—**Kanae…?**

Right.

Of course.

A dream, just another sickening dream. What else would it be? Many nights were plagued with these sorts of dreams, for as long as Kouta could remember. But why complain and fight against a mind-numbing reality that is MUCH better than the one when awake?

"Kouta, come here! I found something!" Kanae continues to call out for her older brother, as the rest of the park's sounds began to fade, growing quieter, and quieter. Kouta stands from the bench, sighing in content and going over to his little sister.

"It better be important, it's really hot out here. We could be at home, in the air condition," the elder one playfully complains, stopping in front of Kanae and looking down. "What is it? What did you find—…?"

As those words came from the college boy's throat, he noticed just how quiet the playground was. The other people were there, but their words could no longer be heard. It was as if he and Kanae were worlds apart from everything else.

"I found this!" The spectral Kanae proceeds to hold out some sort of strange object, cradled between her tiny hands. "Doesn't this belong to your friend? The one with the horns!"

Kouta goes down to his knees to meet Kanae at eye level, looking down into her hands; the pit of his stomach twists, abruptly growing weak at the sight of the object… One of Lucy's horns. Chipped and cracked through the center, the cream-colored bone appeared to have been cracked off by force.

"KANAE! Where did you find this?!" Kouta finds himself in somewhat of a panic, reaching out to swipe it away from his ever curious sister, however, not fast enough; Kanae placed it into the pocket of her pants, giggling to herself.

"You really like her, don't you Kouta? It's okay! I won't tell anybody," the girl twirls with a playful taunt, running past him and jumping onto one of the vacant swings, "besides, crushes are icky! And Yuka would punch your head REALLY hard!"

Feeling his cheeks redden, the boy scoffs, following after Kanae, "You've got it all wrong! She's just a friend!" –Friend? Is this girl a friend…? The one that tore down his father, and the young one standing right in front of him?

"Oh yeah?" Kanae makes the sound of a raspberry with her tongue and lips, giggling again, "Kanae knows that Kouta cares about her! Even though she did bad things!" She clings to the chains holding the swing up, "It's okay though, big brother! Kanae is okay with it, and that means, there's no problem. I see how you worry about her." A naïve, happy grin appears on the girl's features… Speaking as if she had witnessed the events of nearly seven years, despite being deceased.

Then again, this was a dream, as disappointing as it was.

Kouta frowns in a concerned matter, "I thought you hated that girl?"

"I don't hate her! _Welllllllllll_," Kanae jumps off of the swing with a mischievous grin, brushing dirt off of her frilled shirt, "I USED to, but only because I thought you did too. But if you don't hate her, why should I? Doesn't she make you happy? Daddy can see it too!"

The boy's brows furrow in confusion, "Dad…?" Brushing it aside, Kouta speaks up again, wishing to know the answer of a very strange situation, "But, Kanae, how did you get that horn—?"

Rather than answering the question directly, the little sister, shakes her head, her smile a little less sincere, almost ominous, "That isn't important, Kouta." And just as Kanae is prepared to continue with her babbling, a hand would press firmly into the elder one's shoulder.

Jumping in surprise, Kouta whips his head around, seeing the benevolent and warm smile of his deceased father; his heart ached in that moment, staring into the eyes of a man that hadn't aged since the day he was murdered. Kouta's mouth opens, but he is unable to summon any sort of intelligent speech.

"It's okay son… You have a lot on your mind, don't you? You've been working hard, and putting up with your cousin, Yuka," his father chuckles to himself, patting Kouta's shoulder in a reassuring manner, "… We're always watching over you, even when you think we're not… I know it's been very difficult, growing up without me. Your mother prays about me and Kanae every night before going to bed. I know this, because I'm always there… Watching over you, and the others living with you."

Kouta stands in the dreamscape, his eyes wide, mouth gaping in disbelief. He could feel his chest tightening, eyes growing wet and strained as his father spoke.

What—what was all of this supposed to mean? Why all of this abrupt contact? Should he take such a dream seriously…?

_…__Was this a dream at all?_

"_Dad_…" Kouta turns and grabs onto his father with all of his might, allowing the tears to flow down his face in distress. The spectral vision of the older man, reaches around, holding onto his son as tightly as possible, patting his head in a comforting manner.

"Kanae and I are okay. We aren't angry at your friend either… She's a young woman. Take care of her, like you did Kanae," the man speaks, nodding in a serious manner, "as conflicting as it may seem to you."

A whimper escapes Kouta's lips, gripping the side of his head, "**How?! **_HOW?!_ How can you—Expect me—-" And it all came to a halt when Kanae approached him, reaching up and grabbing her older brother's hand.

"**Miss Lucy and all of your friends need you to be strong Kouta!**" Kanae's smile gleams—the same smile of their mother, "If you can't protect me anymore… **Protect ****_her_**…!"

The college boy's heart practically melted, falling apart, and yet—it felt comforting, reassuring—assured that hosting the beast was not as much as a sin as he thought it was. Dead men do not lie, after all.

"I love you big brother!" Kanae held onto Kouta, joining in on the family hug that had been initiated by their father.

"_I love you son…_" The older man smiled gently down at his children, hands on both of their heads, "Kanae, we have to go now, gran gran is waiting for us."

Kanae let go of Kouta. "Gran Gran! I'm gonna show her my new dance trick! She'll love it!" Placing a kiss on Kouta's cheek, the young girl lets go, tugging her father away. At that moment, Kouta's instinct was to chase after his family—and so, he did.

"**KANAE! DAD! LET ME COME WITH YOU!**" He screams in hysterics; an arm reaches out, attempting to grip on the shoulder of his little sister, only to watch it slip right through.

"No big brother! You stay! We have to go!"

"**You stay!**"

"_You stay…!_"

Her voice echoes across the landscape, as Kouta is left alone in his own mourning; the tears in his eyes gradually began to dry as eyes close shut. Everything begins to fade, growing darker, darker, and darker. For the oddest of reasons, his heart wasn't in pain. On the contrary… The boy had received something that he had not imagined to be in possession of at all.

Closure.

"Dad... Kanae... —I miss you two…

So much… Thank you…"

* * *

As the Doctor slumbered with Lucy and K-9, somewhere in the back of his mind, something good had happened. While he slept, he couldn't help but form a smile. He had a feeling that everything would be okay after that incident on the stone steps.

He smiled wider. Kouta had absolved Lucy, and the Diclonius was one step closer to becoming a better person. Just as he had told Lucy, tomorrow was going to be a brand new day.

* * *

Kouta would, for the first time ever, wake up before anybody else in the house, even before the early riser herself, Yuka. Just a little shaken, his body would relax the moment that hot tea was brewed and consumed.

Just what happened last night? Was that a dream, or a personal visitation from the great beyond? Whatever it was, it had left an impact on the young man.

As for Lucy, rising early was out of the question. Exhausted, the girl remains asleep, one hand clinging onto K-9, the other slipped underneath her pillow.

The Doctor, on the other hand, was just on the verge of waking up. Unfortunately, he was beaten to the punch by his pet robotronic.

K-9's head rose as his optics blinked. "Systems online. Batteries to full charge." He moved his neck up and down, but realized that one of Lucy's arms was ensnared around his neck.

"Mistress?" K-9 said. "Mistress. I cannot move. My neck's servo joints are being impeded by your grip." K-9 attempted to wring loose Lucy's grip by moving his neck up and down in a repeated motion.

Unfortunately, he failed. Lucy still gripped onto K-9.

"Mistress. Please wake up. I cannot move. I wish to be free." He continued to wring himself free. "...Mistress?"

Being a light sleeper had many downsides, especially when one is extremely bushed. Despite this, Lucy did not stir at all when K-9 attempted to communicate with the dozing Diclonius. Actually, quite the opposite happened. Lucy rolled over, mumbling lightly to herself, reaching and clinging onto the robotronic with both of her physical arms. Exhaling sharply, Lucy laid there, rather relaxed with the situation.

Whether she was awake or not was questionable.

"Mistress?" K-9 continued trying to stir the Diclonius, until her arms were _completely_ wrapped around his neck. "Mistress!"

The Doctor rolled over and opened one eye, looking at K-9's struggle with Lucy. She had him completely trapped. K-9 wasn't about to stop, however.

He attempted to shake her off by rolling backwards.

K-9 fell short. He couldn't get but a few centimeters away until Lucy's weight stopped him. "Mistress, please wake up. Mistress!"

The Doctor chuckled to himself, but not too loudly.

Unfortunately, K-9 heard him.

"Master." The dog said, as if he almost sounded _annoyed_. "I can detect that you are no longer in REM sleep. I know you are awake, Master." He _still_ tried to move his neck, but it seemed like her grip tightened. "Can you reawaken Lucy, Master?"

The conversation between the Doctor and K-9 would eventually cause Lucy's eyes to flicker open in a lazing manner, lifting her upper body enough so that the passive grip on the robotronic's body was more comfortable.

"Mhnnnn," the horned one eyes, glancing around for a moment before noticing poor K-9's predicament, "—…Oh. Sorry," Lucy releases him, leaning back on her hands, half awake.

"Thank you, Mistress." K-9 said, raising and lowering his neck as he was resituating his servos. "My neck is still operational, thankfully. You did not grip too hard, Mistress."

The Doctor, stretching a bit, leaned on his hands as he looked at K-9. "Your servos can withstand 300 PSI of pressure, K-9." He said. "Stop complaining."

K-9, however, did something that the Doctor didn't hear him do before. K-9 _growled_.

Taken by a bit of surprise, the Doctor took initiative. "K-9, behave!" He said. "Behave, or you're going back into the TARDIS."

After a bit of silence, the dog lowered its head. "I will comply, Master." He said.

"Good boy!" Looking over to the Diclonius, he brought Lucy into a side hug, drawing the horned girl closer to him. "Good morning, Lucy." He said.

Instinctively, a hand reaches up and pets at the metallic head of K-9's body, as one would with any sort of canine when they are upset. "My vectors are strong, my body, not so much. I doubt that any sort of pressure that I could apply natural would damage you…"

As the Diclonius began to wake up, a more organic dog would make it's appearance; Wanta's tiny body could be seen at the doorway, barking and trotting into the room.

"Arf!" His first object of interest was the Doctor's long scarf, tossed aside on the ground nearby.

"Wanta…" Lucy speaks up, "That isn't yours."

The Doctor picked himself up and walked over to his scarf that was drooped over the chair with his coat. He picked up the end and flopped it over on the desk, to where Wanta wouldn't tear at it.

"Sorry, Wanta." He said. "That's not a dog's toy."

The tiny dog whined, jumping and trying to reach the fascinating scarf that rested captive on the table, pacing for a while before going over to K-9. Wanta was not satisfied with his inspections yesterday, and wished to meet his new canine friend once more.

"Rrrrrr— arf!" Wanta practically leaps due to barking with such excitement.

K-9 rolled over to Wanta, as the pup continued to bark and leap about. "You are still overexcited." K-9 bluntly stated. "I do not understand why you wish to cause trouble."

Wanta could only continue to bark as K-9 just sat there. "Master? Would this be what humans call 'annoying'?"

"What, you don't like Wanta, K-9?" The Doctor asked.

"Negative. I do not mind Wanta's appearance. However..." K-9 backed away. "I only wish that he would stop barking. He is overexcited and does not wish to stop."

"Wanta!" The Doctor called, scooping up the pup and petting his head. "Wanta, you know K-9 doesn't bark back. Why don't you find Mayu? I'm sure she must be waking up by now." He opened the door and let the pup down.

"It's alright. Off you go now."

Lucy couldn't help but smirk in amusement, watching Wanta squirm in the Time Lord's arms, "You would behave just the same if you were not a robot, K-9."

"Negative. I would act more civil than that of a normal canine, Mistress."

Lucy chuckled. "In fact… That would be interesting to see. Don't you agree, Doctor?"

The Doctor laughed a bit. "That _would_ be interesting, Lucy." He said as Wanta scampered off. He turned to face K-9. "Haven't you often wondered what it would be like to be a real dog, K-9?"

"Negative. I am comfortable with my current state, thank you."

The Diclonius rises to her feet, running a hand through pink locks before deducting that a trip to the bathroom would be necessary.

"The day room is just down the hall… Everyone else should be there, if you wish to see the rest of them," Lucy points out, stepping out of the room and to the left, the opposite direction of where the Doctor was expected to go. "I will be right out."

The Doctor peeked out of the room when he saw Lucy walk down the hall. "Alright. Try not to take too long." He then walked down the hall into the day room, and could see Mayu and Nana in front of the television, watching a rerun of a show called Takeshi's Castle.

"Good morning!" The Doctor called to the girls. "How are you two?"

"GET OUT OF THE WAY, THE BOULDER IS GOING TO CRUSH YOU!"

Nana sat on her knees, flailing her prosthetic arms in the air as contestants on the game show did their best to avoid getting hit by a boulder rolling down the hill of an obstacle. As the young silpelit flailed, Mayu was equally excited, long abandoning her breakfast in order to pay attention, not even aware that the Doctor had walked in.

"I DON'T THINK HE'S GONNA MAKE IT NANA!"

The two youths found this particular show to be very entertaining, and often bonded over these sorts of programs— Nana once voiced that she would want to try one of these games, but felt it would be an unfair advantage, due to having access to vectors.

The Doctor flashed a toothy grin and sat in between Nana and Mayu, watching the interesting game show. He remembered very briefly watching this show in the TARDIS from another planet, due to it being in the archives. It amused him greatly how people would willingly make fools of themselves in situations like this.

Nevertheless, it was entertaining. Especially when watching it with two excited young children.

The Doctor flinched, when he saw the contestant get crushed by the polystyrene boulder, and roll down the hill as more boulders were thrown. The poor fellow ended up getting sandwiched by two of them when he reached the bottom.

"Dear goodness, that must have hurt..." He said to himself.

"I bet you'd be really good on one of these shows, Mr. Doctor!" Nana had still not engraved the name 'Doctor' in her head, and felt the need to use the extra title, "As long as you don't get your scarf stuff on a ledge! You might lose your head…—-" The little pinkette sat there, horrified at her own words.

"N-NO, NEVER MIND! THAT'S A BAD IDEA, NANA!" Both hands covered her mouth in an instant, blushing with embarrassment.

The Doctor laughed at Nana's comment. "I'd love to compete in a show like this if given the chance." He said. "Though, I prefer my head on my shoulders, thank you. I rather like it where it is right now."

The three could see another contestant sprinting up the hill, trying to get into one of the safety crevices. It looked like one of the men inside the crevice was trying to push him out.

"What are you doing?" He asked. "Let the poor chap in!" The boulder started to roll down as he started to run back up.

"You're foolish, man! You haven't got a chance-" The man jumped on the edge of the canal and was able to _barely_ avoid it. "-yes you have!" The Doctor found himself cheering. "Good swerve there!"

"He barely made that!" Mayu shouts out in surprise, inching closer to the television set, as if the contestants would be able to hear her if she were nearer. "I can't believe how people can do these kinds of things!"

A voice calls out from down the hall, "Mayu, Nana! Do you want more toast?" The obvious, motherly tone of Yuka was easily recognized before the brunette made an appearance in the living room, carrying a plate of breakfast of her own. A light grin is offered in the direction of the Time Lord once mother hen notices him.

"Good morning, Doctor! do you want anything to eat? I can make you something quickly."

How strange— a complete turn around of attitude. Perhaps it was all thanks to a good night's rest.

The Doctor turned to the calling voice, and saw that Yuka was up and about, making breakfast. He flashed a toothy grin to the mother hen.

"Good morning, Yuka!" The Doctor said, cheerfully. "I _am_ a bit peckish. I hope you don't mind if I ask for some breakfast?"

"Go right ahead! Have you ever had Tamago gohan? Or mmhh— no, you probably just want a western style breakfast, am I right on that?"

Not everybody was welcoming towards raw egg on rice, after all.

"If it's not too much to ask, I wouldn't mind a couple of fried eggs with toast and hash browns." The Doctor said, chipper that Yuka was willing to make an English breakfast. "I don't suppose you have any marmalade as well?"

"We have some in the cabinet, I can make the eggs and— erhhmm, I'm not too sure what a hash brown is, or how I would go about making that…" the mother hen regrettably admits. SHE? YUKA? NOT KNOWING SOMETHING? How embarrassing.

"Oh, that's alright." The Doctor said. "You can skip the hash browns. Some fried eggs and toast will do nicely, thank you!"

Mayu couldn't help but overhear the conversation that was going on, "Oh, Miss. Yuka, I think he's talking about pan fried potatoes! I'll help you in the kitchen!"

Immediately, Yuka sighs in relief, "Oh, thank you. You'll get extra allowance for that," she promises, turning and leaving the room with Mayu in tow, right back to the kitchen.

"You don't like eggs and rice?" Nana asks curiously.

"I actually don't mind eggs and rice, Nana." The Doctor said to the young Diclonius. "It's just been a long while since I've had a good English breakfast. Long travels across the cosmos will make you miss simple meals like that."

Some time went by as the Doctor and Nana watched a bit more of Takeshi's Castle before it went to commercial break. As the adverts played, the Doctor peered in the hallway.

"Nana?" he said. "Do you know if Kouta is awake right now?"

Wide magenta eyes look over, her position not shifting as she nibbled lightly on the crust of her toast, "Kouta? I saw him in the house when I first woke up, I haven't seen him since though, mmmhhhh— he might have gone outside!"

As Nana's thought was wrapped out, the elder Diclonius entered the room after running a brush through her messy bed head.

"I smell food…" Lucy speaks, just before yawning.

After a bit more of Takeshi's Castle, it wasn't long until the familiar cry rang through the Maple Inn.

"Breakfast is ready!" Yuka cried. She went over to the front door and found Kouta standing in the yard, enjoying the cool, morning breeze.

"Hey, Kouta!" Yuka called. "Are you going to stand there all morning or are you going to eat? Breakfast is ready!"

Kouta turned and saw his cousin. "...Right." He nodded. "I'll be right there."

Nana and the Doctor walked over to the kitchen, but the Doctor stopped short and saw Lucy walking down the hall. He stopped her short, and signed her to stay put, with a wink. Lucy couldn't help but feel as if he had something up his sleeve.

_What is he up to now…?_

The Doctor would soon join the rest of the Maple Inn Family at the table for breakfast. "That smells wonderful!" He said.

A heavy sensation of tension grew in the pit of Lucy's stomach, just now realizing that her atonement was not completely done and over with. While she had been accepted by Kouta, there was still the rest of the family that she would have to appeal to.

There was Mayu, who had witnessed the beast's brutality first hand…

And of course, Nana, who was now limited to prosthetic limbs in order to live day to day life.

Yuka had narrowly avoided being the third victim of a family massacre all of those years ago, thanks to Kouta breaking through the hazing control of the Diclonius Instinct.

"This is not going to be good…"

"Wash your hands first! They're filthy and I don't want dirt on my nice plates!" Yuka scolds her cousin, making damn sure that her hard work would not be tainted by grime.

"I know, I know," Kouta speaks, rolling his eyes when he was certain that the brunette could not see him— he catches a glance of the Doctor, recalling the previous night's events.

"—Did you sleep okay?" He questions the Time Lord, wanting to know if he was the only one who did not enjoy a night's rest.

The Doctor couldn't help but form a warm smile at Kouta. "Fantastic, actually." He said. "Felt right as rain last night."

He then glances to Yuka. "And what did I say about scolding your cousin, Yuka?" He asked, reminding her of her temper getting out of hand from the night before.

Almost immediately, Yuka sighs and bites her tongue, not wanting to stir any trouble THIS early in the morning— for now, at least, "Sorry Kouta, just make sure that your hands are clean."

Kouta enjoyed the small moment of victory, mouthing 'thank you' towards the Doctor as his cousin went about pouring tea for everybody.

"Good to hear YOU slept well. Somebody in this house needed to," the college boy mentions.

"I think we _all_ needed to." The Doctor said. "But I think a good breakfast is what we need now. You lot need to keep up your strength. After all, you all seem to work yourselves to the bone quite a bit." He looked at Yuka, raising his eyebrows as if to convey a meaning. He flashed a toothy grin though, to show that he still enjoyed Yuka making a fantastic meal.

"I hope the hash browns weren't too difficult, Yuka." He said. "Was Mayu a big help to you? I didn't expect her to know how to cook as well..."

"Mayu is a lovely cook! Everybody here cooks and helps with the meals, since we are such a large family. It also teaches them the importance of tidiness," Yuka began to preach, rather proud of both Mayu AND Nana's skills, "every young Japanese woman learns how to cook!"

"Oh stop that! I'm just a decent cook," as Mayu took a bashful drink for her cup, something dawned upon her, before asking—

"Hey, Doctor? Where's Nyu?"

Nana blinked, looking around, "I thought she was coming in at the same time as us?"

Yuka raises a brow, hand on her hip, calling out again for Nyu to hear, "Nyu! We're all in the kitchen, come an eat with us too!"

Just as the Doctor was about to dig in, they called for the Diclonius. However... they're calling for the _wrong_ one.

It looks like it was time to set the record straight.

"...About Nyu, Yuka." The Doctor said, setting down his fork. "Nyu will not be joining us for breakfast this morning."

Yuka raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about, Doctor? Of course she's going to join us!"

"No. She's not." The Time Lord's voice took a serious tone. "A good lot of you have known my friend as Nyu. The sweet, child-like personality that mostly speaks her own name as a verbal tic. I know her as something else, and someone that I think a lot of you don't really get along with."

Yuka furrowed her eyebrows. "Doctor, what the hell are you getting at?"

He smiled. "There's someone else other than Nyu that I'd like you to meet, Yuka. My dear friend, Lucy."

The Doctor turned to the entry way. "Lucy! Come down and join us for breakfast!"

A few steps are taken, one, two—three? No, there was not a third. Lucy could feel her entire upper body clam up, eyes narrowing, pulse rising, breathe growing rapid. All of the mental preparation that had been racing through her mind just moments before in front of the restroom mirror seemed to be null; the moment that Yuka realized who she was—- the moment that Mayu understood—no, no no no no no—this was a bad idea.

And yet, Lucy did not want to let her new mentor down. The Doctor had been pumping energy into the Diclonius for days now, preparing her to face the family that she had been so terrified of revealing herself to.

She stands at the doorway, hair covering a good portion of her face before Lucy raised her chin, staring at everybody, and finally opening her mouth.

"…It's nice to finally meet you… Without having to look from the inside out."

Yuka's expression shifted from confused, to downright uncomfortable. The small cup of soy sauce in her hand would be placed down, staring into the beast's eyes, as if she had just come face to face with a phantom.

"Nyu…? Why are you acting so strange?"

"She's not acting strange, Yuka." The Doctor said. "This is not Nyu. This is someone that I've met a few days ago. Someone so removed from society, because they saw her only as a monster. This girl's name... is Lucy."

The Doctor looked at Lucy as he continued to speak. "Nyu is a personality, also known as an alter. She was formed from blunt force trauma to Lucy's brain, making her a multiple. When you met her, that was the person that you were familiar with. Lucy, here... is the dominant personality. You never met the main pilot behind this vessel."

He turned back to face Yuka. "I'm hoping that you will accept her just as you've accepted Nana and Mayu, even Nyu and myself."

"Why wouldn't I?"

Yuka gave Lucy a strange look, as if she had seen the eyes of this girl before. The manner in which the Doctor spoke was almost as if it was a warning of sorts. In fact, the gleam that came from those reddened eyes left the brunette very unnerved.

"Is there a reason why I wouldn't want her here?"

Lucy's frown was much more apparent. These people really didn't know who she was… Only Kouta knew the full story. Even though Yuka knew what happened to Kouta's family, she wasn't aware that she was in the presence of the one who ended it all.

For starters, Kouta's cousin had been aware of the true fate of both Kanae and her uncle; Kanae never fell ill, and her uncle was not killed in a car accident—it had been, in fact, a murder, one that occurred just an hour after the Kamakura festival. The murder was a very sore subject between the family members, and was never brought up among the others. However, Yuka heard about it, and was told to never bring it up around Kouta. And even though she knew the truth, the face of the murderer had never been revealed.

Now—the culprit stood there, face to face with her.

The entire time, Kouta had been holding his breath, before allowing it out in a shaky sigh.

"There's something I need to tell you guys."

The Doctor snapped his eyes over to Kouta. Something came to mind.

...Of course! They never knew that Lucy was the murderer of Kouta's family! He didn't think Yuka actually _knew_ of Kouta's family being killed, but if they didn't know Lucy was the cause of it...

Concern took over the Doctor. "Kouta, are you _sure_ you're ready to bring it up?" He asked. "I don't want to be the one that pushed you to do this. I can tell the story, if you'd like-"

Kouta's dialogue practically stepped right on the foot of the Doctor's sentence as it was wrapping up, nearly cutting him off.

"This is my responsibility." he states firmly, standing in order to look at Yuka as he spoke, "Yuka… This girl—this is the girl from my childhood. The one that I snuck out of the house for a week to visit; she's also the one who—" his voice trails, turning his head enough to take a look at the Diclonius looming in the doorway.

"…She's also the one who killed my father, and Kanae." Kouta speaks gravely, suddenly losing the confidence that was in his voice, though he made a fair attempt to pick it back up—but not before Yuka's shrill tone butts in.

"EXCUSE ME?!" The young woman drops her saucer of soy sauce, staring at Lucy with an amount of disgusted that had never been witnessed on Yuka's face. Mayu and Nana sit awkwardly at the table, choosing not to open their mouths, rather, they listened timidly.

"YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT I'VE BEEN NURTURING AND HOUSING THE ONE THAT RUINED YOUR LIFE THIS ENTIRE TIME, AND YOU HAVEN'T TOLD ME?!"

Lucy's eyes narrowed, backing off a half of a step, lowering her head somewhat and remaining silent.

"Yuka!" The Doctor shouted, standing up himself. "Get off of Kouta's back!"

The Mother Hen shot a glare at the Doctor. "And you! HOW DARE YOU BRING A MURDERER INTO MY HOUSE! For all I know, she could have-"

"I WOULD _NEVER_ BRING A MURDERER INTO YOUR HOUSE, YUKA." The Doctor's deep voice rose in tone. "Do you _honestly_ believe if Lucy were still committing atrocities, that I would bring her in here? Let me tell you something, my dear. She has not laid a finger on _anyone_ since she met me. Put _that_ into perspective."

He looked back at Lucy and warmly smiled at her, letting her know that he had her back. "Lucy, while I don't doubt has done terrible things in the past, I've seen in just these past few days, that she's done so out of _fear_." The Time Lord looked back at Yuka and pointed to Lucy. "Look at her! If you were in _her_ position, what would you do if everyone saw you as nothing more than a monster? Someone who is merely _different?_ You wouldn't know how to handle yourself would you?"

His finger then led to Kouta. "And give this matter a bit of thought. Why do you think Kouta has not stood up to you and your brashness?" He looked at Kouta with concern, knowing he was going to hate what he'd say. "Why he's become so passive to your attitude as of late?"

The Doctor's voice then turned into a hushed tone. "Do you honestly believe that he would have told you upfront? You should know your cousin better than that, rather than berate him as if he were your own pincushion!"

"I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE CONDONING AND PROTECTING A MURDERER!" Yuka practically fumed, trembling where she stood, her eyes never leaving the doorway, "You think we can just accept an APOLOGY?! An apology doesn't bring back my uncle and my cousin! An apology doesn't make up for the fact that Kouta's life was COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY RUINED! All because this PSYCHO had it out for my family! It isn't a matter of understanding, a murderer is a murderer!"

She began to walk in Lucy's direction before the beast opened her mouth for a few words of her own.

"If you were present last night," she hisses in disdain, "then you would have heard that I wasn't asking for anybody's damned forgiveness… I sure as hell do not need _you_ to tell me what I've done wrong; I know very well what I've done!"

"Shut up!" Yuka shouted. "Once I get the whole story of _why_ you killed my family, I want you to leave."

Lucy's eyes widened. "Yuka, _listen to-"_

"NO, _YOU_ LISTEN. I don't EVER want to see you in this house! You're a killer, and I will NEVER welcome a killer here!"

Kouta, starting to sheath with anger, tried to speak up during Yuka's rage. "Yuka, please!"

An unappreciative exhale from the nurturer, "Kouta. I want an explanation. I want the whole story! I've been kept in the dark about what happened that night my entire life! How does Nyu—Lucy, whatever her name is, have anything to do with it?!"

The boy speaks up just as promptly, "If you **CALMED DOWN**, I would be able to TELL YOU!"

Kouta just raised his voice for the first time towards the dominant woman, and instantly, Yuka retreated, standing there and listening.

The Doctor walked over to Yuka as she was stunned by Kouta's retort. Standing tall over her, he looked at her straight in the eye.

"I'm going to make this abundantly clear to you, Yuka." He said. "I _do not_ condone anything Lucy had done. I don't condone the fact that she killed numerous people in the past, nor do I condone her misanthropic behavior she's had for so long." He brought his voice to a low whisper. "I _never_ befriend murderers unless they were willing to change for the better. Don't _ever_ get that twisted."

The Doctor then brought a finger to Yuka's face. "And don't you _dare_ call Lucy a psycho. She is my friend, and no one... _no one..._ insults my friends."

The Time Lord then wondered over to Kouta, placing a supportive hand on his shoulder. "Now if you'd be so kindly to calm down and be quiet, I think Kouta now has the floor." He pat the boy, bringing his tone into a warmer disposition.

"Whenever you're ready, Kouta."

"—Erhm, thank you, Doctor." Kouta cleared his throat, almost ashamed of the fact that he has raised his voice in such a manner—but, it was necessary for the moment. He had been stepped on by Yuka for as long as he could remember, and he'd be damned before allowing her to ruin what could possibly by the pinnacle turning point of his life. Losing the opportunity to patch up the wounds of the past with the one who caused it would be foolish.

"It's hard to explain, and, I can't pretend as if I understand her, but I know Lucy has no intentions of causing any kind of trouble here. Apparently she ran away because she felt as if she wasn't welcome—hell, I didn't even want to accept her apology…" Kouta steals a quick glance at the Diclonius before continuing, "So if you can't allow her to be here, then..." He gulped. "...Then I guess I won't stay either."

Lucy's harsh eyes softened, and then widened.

"Kouta…?" Yuka asked. "What are you saying...?"

"You heard me, Yuka." Kouta said. "I'm not going to stay here if you're going to kick Lucy out onto the street."

The boy moved from where he was standing, going over and placing a firm hand on Lucy's shoulder, "If you don't want her to be in this house, then you have to kick me out as well!"

Yuka sputters, "Kouta! You're being ridiculous!"

That was her thought, until Mayu stood up as well, bravely going over to the doorway to join the duo, "Me too! Can't you see Yuka? Lucy just wants to be our friend!"

Finally, Nana stands up as well, shyly joining for the sake of staying by her best friend's side, "She's done a lot of bad things—b-but, don't we all deserve a second chance?"

The beast stood there dumbfounded, overwhelmed with the response that the rest of the house had given, "You guys…"

The Doctor couldn't help but smile at the turn of events, as everyone else except Yuka showed support for Lucy. The Time Lord walked over and joined the group, surrounding the Diclonius. Turning to face the mother of the Maple Inn, he stood tall with the rest of the group.

"If you don't want Lucy here, then I'll leave as well. There's plenty of room in my Police Box for everyone here, and if you can't accept Lucy for who she is _now_, then we won't bother coming back."

"What?! You guys can't all live in a phone box! It's—It's a PHONE BOX!" Yuka threw a fit, a hand against her forehead, complaining and sputtering. What nonsense! "That's beside the point! I just..." When she lowered her hand and looked at the rest of the family standing there without any sign of budging, all in support of that killer...

"… I don't get it." she speaks up, an expression of defeat, "Why am I always the bad guy? I just want to be sure that everybody is safe and sound, that's all I've tried to do! And now you guys are angry at me for trying to do that?"

Lucy sighed, taking a glance at everybody for a moment.

"Yuka, trust me… If my intentions were cruel, you wouldn't be standing there and speaking right now." Blunt, just like she had to hear it. Lucy looked to the crowd surrounding her. "I don't want you guys to leave this place if I'm not welcome… You can obviously tell how concerned she is for all of you…"

The maternal figure huffs under her breath, red face, embarrassed, arms crossed, rethinking her decision.

The Doctor sighed. "Yuka." He said, going over to the mother hen as she crossed her arms looking at the side. The Time Lord put a hand on her shoulder. "Yuka, look at me. Please."

Yuka, with a bit of reluctance, looked up at the Doctor. His look had now softened as he saw what her face was reading. She _really did_ have motherly instincts.

"I can understand you're concerned for everybody. Really, I can. If I were in your position, I'd want everyone safe from harm myself." He then put both hands on her shoulders. "But you must understand. Lucy isn't here to cause you lot anymore pain. She's _realized_ that what she did all those years ago was wrong. She _knows_ that."

"All she's ever wanted was to be welcome by _someone_. Until a few days ago, when I met her, she didn't have _anybody._ Society caste her aside, and she was left with nothing but pain, anger, and frustration. She never thought you all would welcome her with open arms. That was why I brought her back here."

Yuka blinked as she listened to the Doctor. He _seemed_ serious about Lucy. But why...? She's a killer!

"Do you remember when Lucy was screaming when you two walked in yesterday, and Nyu emerged?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"When I saw that Lucy was gone, I was sad. I honestly thought it was a mistake coming here, because I thought that you all would not welcome _her_, but only welcome Nyu. Nyu is sweet, don't get me wrong, but I don't know her well. Lucy is the one I found, and whom I befriended. So when she vanished, I couldn't help but feel that this may have been all for naught."

He glanced down, as he was feeling his emotions take over him. He sniffed. "And, now that I've properly introduced Lucy to you, hoping to at least help rekindle whatever is left of a connection she's had here, you're set on kicking her out. _Excommunicating_ her from what was once her home, when she had no one else to turn to before I crossed her path."

"Please, Yuka." The Doctor pleaded. "Don't force Lucy out. She deserves so much happiness, and she deserves it with all of you. Don't ruin her chance to change for the better."

Hues of almond soften and lid in thought, her head turning off to the side once more when she was through with speaking directly to the Doctor.

Everything about this very moment counteracted the morals that Yuka had grown up on—she recalled her mother, an extremely firm but pious young woman, who had children herself at the young age of twenty. It was a snug and comfortably family; Yuka was an only child, and therefor relished all of the attention that a mother and father could give their offspring. And yet, there as an unfulfilled void within the girl's heart… The need to protect and nurture somebody younger than her.

"_Mama—why don't I have a younger brother or sister?"_

This question had been asked many times throughout young Yuka's childhood; her mother would simply sigh and chuckle under her breath.

"_Because, little blossom,"_ a loving moniker related to her name's meaning, _"we are happy with what we have."_

A hand would reach out—only one, due to the other usually cradling a laundry basket or a wash cloth—to pat at the youthful Yuka's head. It was the same answer every time. Instead, every birthday, little Yuka would be given baby dolls and accessories to play with. Such an endearing sight, her bedroom was.

"_I'll be a great grown up—just like my mama!"_

From that point on, the little blossom would be seen helping with dinner, cleaning dishes, moping the floor, and tending to the small family garden with her mother—allowing herself to be groomed to become the perfect housewife for a very luck young man in the future.

Truth be told, Yuka shared the same maternal instincts of her mother, and boy did it ever show.

_Don't ruin her chance to change for the better!_

Staring on ahead at the rest of the family, Yuka rubs her eyes gently, standing there and wondering… What would mama say?

"—Even monkeys fall from trees, I suppose." she eventually sighs, allowing her arms to fall, hands folding neatly in front of her, "What kind of mother would I be if I forced Lucy out…?"

The Diclonius glanced forward, her head perking as if an 'all clear' had been signaled, "Yuka-san… I am so sorry." she speaks just above a whisper, stepping forward and bowing in a respectful manner, continuing to speak with her head down, "I'm sorry for all of the pain that I have put you and your family through—I mean it from the bottom of my heart…"

The Doctor looked between Yuka and Lucy as they both tried to kindle a connection. They were getting there, but they had to go through baby steps. After all, this _is_ the first time Yuka has learned of the murders she committed.

"Do you see what I mean, Yuka?" The Doctor asked. "Lucy only wants to belong here. She _really is_ sorry for what she's done. I know it'll take some getting used to. In fact, I know it won't be easy, either. But I know you don't have it within yourself to throw out someone who doesn't have anything."

Yuka looked at the Time Lord. "What about you, Doctor?" She asked. "You said you took her in. Can you not?"

"Oh, I can, if I really wanted to." He said. "But she belongs here. If she wanted to stay behind for whatever reason, I feel that here would be a much better option than anywhere else. Aside from the lot of us, she doesn't have a lot of friends."

The Time Lord glanced at Lucy. "She and Kouta had already made peace last night, too. If Kouta can at _least_ attempt to help make things better, I know you can too, Yuka." He said, looking back at the maternal figure. "I want Lucy to be happy, nothing else. I don't want anymore pain thrust upon her. She's had enough. I'm sure even _you_ don't wish that on anyone."

"I-I don't have the heart to put somebody through actual pain—I mean, yeah, I'm really brash and pushy, I know that much. And sometimes my attitude is sorta… Bad," Yuka grumbles, rubbing the back of her neck. Of course, Kouta would feel the need to put his two-cents in, snickering.

"_Sorta_ bad?"

Yuka's face lights up red, huffing sharply, "Kouta! This is a nice moment, you're supposed to support me and say otherwise!" The mother hen grumbles under her breath again, covering both rosy cheeks of her own.

With a cheerful laugh, Kouta walks over his cousin's side, giving her a hug, "C'mon Yuka, you know I'm joking with you!"

As the rest of Maple Inn's family began to come down from the stress of the situation, Lucy's feet pace over to the table, lowering herself to her knees in front of the set table, "…I'm more hungry than I thought I was," she murmurs, finally able to eat now that her nerves were beginning to settle.

"I think we all are after this little ordeal." The Doctor said, sitting back down at the table next to Lucy. He poked his breakfast with his finger. "My fried eggs are starting to get cold. What say we all have a nice sit down and eat? I think you all should get to know Lucy!"

The rest of the family then sat back down as the Doctor waved them over to the table. Taking their places, they started to eat as they began to make conversation and have a laugh or two.

Things were going well, for once! Lucy had a ways to go, but at least Yuka is helping to integrate her into the family. The Doctor couldn't help but swell with joy as he looked at Lucy making conversation without the need to clam up.

"Itadakimasu!"

A proper opening for a proper breakfast, everyone returned to the table. While the Doctor opted to eat a classic English breakfast, the rest of the Maple Inn family ate what was normally prepared day in and day out; eggs and rice with soy sauce, leftover salmon from a previous meal—and putrid Natto that only Kouta seemed to enjoy.

Nana decided to speak up, asking a burning question, "Yuka! Are we still going to the beach? Or were you just joking yesterday?" The little silpelit barely had her chopsticks out of her mouth, wide eyes staring over at the maternal figure.

"I don't see why not!" Yuka chirps, putting her cup of tea down, "Just as long as Lucy uses sunscreen. No offense, but even when you were Nyu, I was concerned that your skin would burn the moment you stepped outside."

With an awkward expression, Lucy swallowed a morsel of food before replying, "…You were observing my skin?"

"Your skin _is_ rather pale, Lucy." The Doctor said, taking a chunk of hash brown into his mouth. "I'm quite surprised you haven't burned yourself."

The Time Lord then turned to Nana. "Unfortunately, Lucy and I may need to opt out of going to the beach with you all." He said. "We've got things to do, and places to go ourselves. Besides, I was hoping to explore the urban areas of Kamakura myself." He turned to Lucy and smiled. "What do you say, Lucy?"

A smile appears on Lucy's features, pausing as her chopsticks had been reaching out to grab another bite of rice, "I would not mind that—Kamakura is a quaint city. I'm sure you would appreciate it more than I had. Truth be told, I've never paid much attention to the small details, so the trip would be new to me as well."

Nana's wide eyes blinked a few times, pouting, "You're not gonna come to the beach with us?" The little silpelit bit at her chopsticks a little, "—Is it because you're afraid of water? Or is it the people"?

Passively, the Diclonius speaks up a little, "It's summer, there's more than one opportunity for us to join you at Enoshima. The Doctor and I simply have things that must be taken care of." Lucy picked at her bowl of eggs and rice, reaching with a vector to grab at the soy sauce, "I promise."

"Don't be sad, Nana!" The Doctor said. "Believe you me, I would love nothing more than to enjoy a nice day at the beach with you and everyone else. But, there's just _so much_ I've yet to see. So, you can understand why I want to explore a bit more before doing some 'family activities'. One day, we'll join you, though."

Nana pointed at the Doctor. "You better! Lucy-sama promised!"

The Doctor scrunched his eyes. "_Why_ would you do that, Lucy...?"

"I didn't see a problem in making a promise," Lucy responded honestly, sipping at her tea, "Besides, it's a nice view at the beach. You would enjoy it."

As the family were enjoying the rest of their breakfast, K-9 decided to roll into the dining area and join the rest of the family.

"Master?" The dog asked. "I overheard we are to be leaving. How soon are we departing?"

"Not quite yet, K-9." The Doctor said. "There's still a few things that we need to do here first." He glanced over to Yuka before forming a mischievous grin. "...Like show Yuka here the inside of my _Police Box._"

Ah. Here we go again. The Doctor was talking ecstatically about that damned blue box again.

In an instant, Yuka sighed, wagging her chopsticks a little as she spoke, rather unamused, "I still don't get why you are so excited about that police box. Sure, it's just been installed on the street, but for whatever reason or another, you think it's some sort of hide out! Honestly, it's juvenile," she mentioned, taking a hearty bite of scrambled egg.

"Nuh uh!" Nana pipes up, "It isn't just a police box! It's a ta—TART! It's a magic TART!" Little Nana could not recall what the name of the TARDIS was, and therefor, swapped it with what she _could _remember.

The Doctor could only chuckle as Nana tried her very best to say TARDIS. "Nana, you're very close, but that's not what it's called."

"Then what else do you call it, Doctor?" Yuka asked. "Your secret fort?"

"Oh, nothing so juvenile." He said. "I call it my home. Why did you think I was so quick to decide to sleep in it yesterday when we had that spat?"

Yuka raised an eyebrow. "Doctor, you're seriously the _strangest_ person I've ever met." She then started to laugh a bit. "I didn't think I would know anyone that would call a phone box their house!"

The Doctor widened his eyes. "...Why are you laughing, Yuka?" He asked, almost sounding hurt by her poking fun at the Old Girl.

Her laughing suddenly slowed a bit before she saw that everyone was looking at her. "Wait, you _really_ aren't serious, are you?" She asked.

"Have _I_ ever laughed at the prospect of you living in a house like this? No. Why would you laugh at the notion that I live in a blue box?"

Truly puzzling. Was this some sort of prank? The entire family must have been in on whatever the Doctor was trying to do. Yuka was not upset; it was all in good-heartedness after all. She had pulled many jokes on Kouta in their childhood! Rolling her eyes with a passive chuckle, the mother hen finished a second bowl of rice, standing from the table.

"Oh well," she quips, "let's go ahead and look at your amazing police box." Sarcasm, of course.

Kouta took the moment to lean with his elbows on the table, which would otherwise be incredibly against the rules, "You're in for a surprise Yuka, let us know how it goes."

Once again, the cousin rolls her eyes with a groan, waving her hand, "Right, right, I'll be SURE to tell you all about how _shocked_ I'll be. Let's go Doctor, let's go and look at your secret fort!" She took the liberty of leaving the room before him, trotting out the door and straight to the gated entrance of the Maple Inn, where the TARDIS sat, awaiting their presence.

In the meantime, those who remained inside whispered among themselves, creeping out of the dining room and to the doorway, looking outside in an attempt to catch a glimpse of what was going on. Mayu giggled, and because of that, Nana did as well. And when the two children were making too much noise, the eldest Diclonius used two of her vectors to cover their mouths.

"Hush!"

With a bit of a huff, the Doctor stood from his spot on the table before taking another bite of his eggs, and followed Yuka where she stood next to the TARDIS. "You seem like you're quite sure of yourself that it's just a mere Police Box." The Doctor said, sliding the front door shut behind him.

"That's because it is!" Yuka said. "Now, show me the inside of this 'secret fort' that you love so much!"

The Doctor rubbed the bridge of his nose. He was no doubt annoyed by Yuka's taunting, but he started to chuckle to himself the more he thought about her reaction at the inside of the box.

Striding next to her, he slid his key into the lock of the door, and pushed it open. The Time Lord looked at Yuka, raising his eyebrows.

"Well?" He asked, jutting his head to the interior. "In you go, Yuka. Let's see what you think of my 'secret fort' now." The Doctor flashed a toothy grin the moment he finished that sentence.

Mothers were notorious for pretending to be excited and shocked about things that their children made up. That was their job, wasn't it? If a child builds a blanket fort and dubbed it as a castle, then damn right it's a castle! You cannot just break a little one's heart. Yuka would be no different.

"Alright, alright, I'm ready," she sighs, hands on her hips as the Doctor opened the door. She honestly expected some dusty books and a desk, maybe a comfortable seat and some pictures pinned to the walls—hopefully a fan. The summer heat was unbearable in closed spaces. Yuka bowed her head something, slipping past the door. To even add to the pretend excitement that was to come, the mother hen had closed her eyes!

And on the count of three, they'd be open—

"Oh wo— … OH…"

Her eyes had never widened to that width before, jaw dropping the very moment she saw the spacious insides of the Doctor's TARDIS—she was SO shocked, that Yuka closed her eyes, rubbed them a few times, and them opened them up! As if it was a dream!

"…_WHHAAAA?_**!**" IMPOSSIBLE!

The Doctor slipped into the TARDIS while Yuka was enamored by the interior. Needless to say, like Kouta, her expectations were _wildly_ underestimated. He walked past her stood next to the console. Yuka's mouth was still agape, as if her jaw had dropped to the floor.

"I...- How-... Doctor!?"

"I probably should have mentioned." The Doctor said. "This isn't merely a Police Box. This is a ship that can travel _anywhere_ in space..." His eyes widened. "and time."

The Time Lord outstretched his arms to the sides. "Yuka," He said. "welcome to the TARDIS."

"**SPACE** _and_ **TIME?** You're meaning to tell me that every single bit of science fiction that my dorky cousin used to read as a kid—is ACTUALLY true?!" Oh man. Both hands held the sides of Yuka's head as she stood up straight, fluttering around the control room, taking glances at everything nearby.

Kouta had always been an imaginative boy. In his closet as a boy were several shoeboxes full of comic books and science fiction novels. How he adored to read in his youth! Though, these days, he preferred television over the written word.

"THIS IS—I'M—I'm not even sure what to say!" Her words stammer out, absolutely starstruck.

"You could always say that it's bigger on the inside." The Doctor said, still smiling widely like a mad man. "Everyone else does."

Yuka could only nod in a dumbfounded fashion. "...Yeah. It is! It _is_ bigger on the inside! How..." She put a palm to her forehead. "This is crazy!"

"Kouta and the others thought the same thing. Even Lucy." The Doctor said. "And you seemed _so_ sure that it was just a mere 'secret fort'." He waved a finger. "You should know better than to treat me as a child who only has but a wild imagination."

While the Doctor said it with best intentions, he _was_ conveying a meaning. After all, Yuka seemed to take _a lot _of things at merely face value, and judge things before everything is clearly explained. At times, she came off as _very_ condescending, even towards Kouta. If the way she always berated him was like that of an overprotective mother, who at the same time exhibited traits like that of a jealous teenaged female, then he could only shudder as to how in the _world_ Kouta even put up with his cousin, despite the pain he had gone through over the years.

Even though he was enjoying Yuka's child-like awe of the TARDIS, he saw this as an opportunity. He'd have to have a heart to heart talk with Yuka about her attitude.

It turned out that the little blossom had to swallow her own words. She could only imagine what Lucy had experienced within these walls—what wonders had been witnessed. The types of people. The memories—did the Diclonius have her own room? Where did the Doctor and his robotic companion reside? OH! She had a medley of questions!

This had turned into an opportune time for the Doctor and Yuka to sit down and have an honest conversation about the house-wife-to-be's attitude and overall personality when it came to Kouta. The air could be cleared, and the family, at peace—-

Yuka, on the other hand, had _different_ plans. Sure enough, the others were right; but how often would the family be able to experience technology outside of humanity normality? More than likely never again.

Meanwhile, on the outside, Nana was scuttling up to the TARDIS. "Heh heh! I wonder how Yuka-san is acting? She's probably fallen on her butt in surprise!"

Mayu was equally amused and curious, following behind her best friend, "Yuka! Are you in there? Can you hear us!?"

With an excited grin, Yuka turns heel, "You guys GOTTA come in!" She dashes forward, prepared to open the door and let everybody in without any hesitation! An arm extends—-!

Only to be denied, the double doors to the TARDIS close in front of her, locking shut—Yuka had not expected that. Neither did her body as it knocked against it's surface, falling backwards to the floor.

"UAH! H-hey!" She huffs, sitting up, "What was that for?! I just wanted to get everybody inside, how rude! Ugh," as she stood, Yuka's mind went to a rather strange place: could this be—could this be a KIDNAPPING? "—you BETTER NOT BE TRYING TO TAKE ME SOMEWHERE! I thought we were becoming friends, Doctor!" Her voice was frantic, stomping both feet like a toddler.

"We _are_ becoming friends, Yuka." the Doctor said, taking his hand off of the door lever. "However, if you do wish to be my friend, there's going to have to be a few changes you'll need to make."

"Changes? What are you talking about?" Yuka asked.

With a sigh, the Doctor switched on the intercom system, as well as the view screen broadcasting his voice so the others outside could hear. He'd hate to deny Nana and Mayu another look inside, but this matter was far more pressing.

"You lot better head back inside." The Doctor said. "Yuka and I are going to be a while."

Nana looked at the door with concern. "Mr. Doctor? I-is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine, Nana." He said. "You and Mayu go talk with Lucy. I think she'll need some people to socialize with." The Time Lord smiled. "Why don't you lot play with Wanta?"

Nana smiled and nodded. "Okay! Don't take too long!" She and Mayu trotted off.

"And try to keep him away from K-9!" He said, before switching off the intercom and the viewscreen. "Now that we've got the peanut gallery out of here, I think it's time that we had a bit of a talk."

Yuka raised an eyebrow. "A talk? What do we have to talk about? Look, I'm sorry if I seemed harsh with Lucy earlier but-"

"It's not just that, Yuka. It's a lot of things." He walked over to Yuka on the other side of the console. "And they have to do with how you are acting."

The Doctor scratched the back of this head. "There's really no other way to say this. But we need to have a talk about your attitude, Yuka."

When was this going to be dropped? Seriously?! They had just gotten through an emotionally draining conversation. The family was at peace. And now here she was, about to get reamed and scolded as if she were a child! Yuka's shoulders pulled up sternly, taking a defensive pose.

"My **ATTITUDE**?" She scoffed, her neck and cheeks glowing with anger—just like a circus balloon. "How many times are you going to jump the gun and patronize me like this? I apologized to Lucy, I apologized to Kouta, _I'm_ not going to suddenly become a sweet bun over night!" Yuka was not prepared to be submissive over this subject, and much like a bull, she was seeing red, flailing and moving her arms as she spoke.

"You have made it plain as day that you're not '_pleased_' with the way I act," every syllable was clapped out with both hands, "what else do you have to say about it?!"

Oh if she could, she would _smack_ him! Clear across the face! How rude!

"And I **especially** don't need somebody lecturing me like I am seven! I have a father already!"

As the Doctor expected, it wasn't going to go well. Yuka would no doubt shout in his ear like that of a child throwing a tantrum. He lacked patience a lot, and this was one of the many things that he didn't have a lot of patience for.

People who were blind and oblivious to their own problems, and blamed others for being blunt to them.

"Yes, Yuka. You've apologized to both Lucy and Kouta. But since you've said you're not going to be a 'sweet bun' overnight, then you're already telling me that you are going to make no effort in changing yourself."

"Well, what do you expect me to do!?" Yuka yelled. "I'm doing the best that I can!"

"No, Yuka! You're not!" The Doctor shouted back. "I only said we need to talk about your attitude, and you're _already_ making me seem like the enemy! I only want to help you!"

Yuka marched up to him and got into his face. "I don't need your help!"

"LISTEN TO ME, YUKA!"

Yuka _almost_ raised her hand to the Doctor, but held back with every ounce in her body. It took a lot of strength to hold back her anger so that she wouldn't show the Doctor her wrath.

Unfortunately, for her, the Doctor could see it plain as day.

"Do you want to hit me, Yuka?" He asked upfront. "Is that it? Will slapping me make you feel better? Will punching me in the jaw quell that rage you're feeling simply because I'm telling the truth?" He then ducked down to Yuka's level, making direct eye contact.

"Go on, then. Hit me." He said, pointing to his temple. "If it's going to make you feel any better, then make it a good one."

The Doctor did not even have to finish his sentence; Yuka's wrist flicked upwards, fingers balling into a fist, arm cranking backward—_and_**!**

**_PAM!_**

A fist connected with the side of the Time Lord's head, not too harshly, but enough to get her frustration and point across.

"AND THAT IS YOUR ENTIRE FAULT BECAUSE YOU ASKED FOR IT!" The mother hen huffed, her knuckles red and throbbing, stinging. If she were any worse, steam would be curling from Yuka's ears. Her other hand reaches over, pampering at the hand that had been used to assault the scarved man.

While it did get all of that pent up anger out of the woman's system, with a huff, she automatically felt bad. This man truly was trying to help her out, wasn't he? Maybe she—over reacted a little? Maybe just a little?

* * *

"**S**ure hope Yuka isn't getting too pissed in there," Kouta mentioned to himself, sitting out with Wanta and the girls by the doorstep, "I'd hate for her to get thrown into a wormhole." Nana's head tilts, looking over from playing fetch with the small dog, "Wormhole? I don't think Mr. Doctor would shove Yuka-san into a little worm's home! That's just silly." Shaking his head a little, Kouta sighs, "Not what I meant—but close enough." "If he can handle me," Lucy spoke up, arms crossed as she watched the silpelit play fetch back and forth with Wanta, "then he can handle Yuka. Yuka only has two arms…"

* * *

Arms crossed and tucked into themselves, looking up at the Time Lord with a pout on her lips, eyes flattened—maybe it was guilt, maybe it was a ticket to not get scolded too much. Who knew?

"—Didn't mean to hit you so hard," Yuka grumbled, like a child put in time out. He really did not deserve that.

The Doctor's eyes were still widened from the impact of Yuka's punch. Her strength surprised even _him._

Yuka hit him _HARD._

Squinting his eyes from the pain, he brought a hand over his temple, rubbing the impacted part. "Don't say that, Yuka." He said. "You did. I know you meant to hit me hard."

Yuka blinked. "Then why did you ask me to do it?" She asked.

"Because you would have anyway. Do you think I don't know how people like you act? Ow-!" The Doctor wished he still had his frock coat on him, otherwise he'd retrieve an ice pack from his pocket. He'll have to make due for now. "You're violent, brash, overbearing, and confrontational to the highest degree."

Yuka was just about to say something, but looked downward.

"You even said yourself that your attitude is 'sort of bad'. Your words, Yuka. Not mine."

How could Yuka argue against that? The Doctor had her cornered, and she couldn't escape out of it this time. Balling her fist, she ended up unclenching it, and sighed.

She was defeated. The Doctor was right. There was no use denying it. She kept her head lowered, guilt taking over in full effect.

The Doctor put a hand on her shoulder. "Yuka. The way you behaved to Kouta last night. Has that been a normal thing between you and him?"

She nodded.

"How long was Kouta your punching bag?"

Punching bag was an understatement; Kouta had been dealing with Yuka's insecurity and overbearing personality since the age of one.

Yuka's mother and Kouta's father were cousins, and shared a same relationship with themselves as children. They were constantly at each other's necks; often times, the little blossom's mother would boss Kouta's father into submission, due to him being the younger one.

"A while," the mother hen sighed, taking her scolding with a grain of salt, now that her rage had been burnt out with the punch, "my parents never had a problem with it. And he was one of my only friends at the time. I thought all boys and girls were bossy to each other! At least, that is what my mother had told me."

Because of their second-cousin relationship, the two of them saw each other very often, and were incredibly close to one another despite their bickering. Kouta protected Yuka from **anybody** that tried to belittle her.

"I barely heard from Kouta since the day his two family members were killed… I guess old behavior doesn't just vanish. I behaved the same way that I had as a kid. And, really—I was angry at him for my own selfish reasons. His memory wasn't all that good because of the trauma, so he didn't recall a lot from our childhood after the incident. When Kouta came to live with me in Kamakura a year ago, that was the first time I had seen him since that day." Yuka frowned to herself, sighing, one hand pressed over her heart. "I used to be really possessive of him when he came to visit, because there were a lot of pretty girls that liked him a lot. And he's so nice, I just—I'm jealous…"

There was a new expression on Yuka's face, one that clearly showed her remorse.

"I love Kouta, Doctor. I've loved him since I was a kid! And the thought of him not loving me back is terrible!"

Who would have thought that Yuka's roots of abuse towards Kouta were similar to a child's emotions? Jealousy, selfishness, and possessiveness. He had to be fair, though. Human emotions, depending on the environment, were difficult to overcome and evolve from. It sounded like Yuka was no different.

"Kouta _does_ care for you though, Yuka." The Doctor said. "And not just you, either. He cares for Lucy, Nyu, Nana, and Mayu. Despite all of the troubles he's experienced growing up, he's made up for it by taking in another Diclonius, something just like Lucy, and a little girl. Frankly, I'm surprised he's stayed by your side after all that you've done to him."

He then leaned on the console, with an arm over Yuka's shoulders, bringing her close just like a grandfather would to a child. Something he had done with Susan during his first incarnation. "I can see that you want Kouta to be happy, Yuka. I know that you do. But being similar to a nagging parent and acting like an overbearing woman to him isn't going to help him overcome his problems."

He shook his head. "And your mother had it all wrong. Humans are _never _supposed to be bossy towards each other. They're supposed to be friends, companions, and family. Being bossy only brings out underlying malice and control. And Kouta doesn't need that from you. He needs your support, now more than ever. He's starting to heal from the trauma caused by Lucy, and although it will take a lot of time for him to properly heal, he's going to overcome it. This is a turning point in his life, and he's going to need all of the help he can get."

The Doctor looked into her eyes, with a finger poking at her. "That means _no more abuse._ Do you understand, Yuka?" He asked. "No more condescending remarks. No more punches. No more slaps. No more insults. No more being bossy. No more of what you usually do."

He then smiled. "I promise you, the moment you stop with all of that, Kouta will _flourish_ in ways that neither you, nor _I_, could _ever_ imagine."

For once in nearly twenty-two years, Yuka stood there in silence, listening to somebody else's speech, rather than rattling on and filling the air with her own. If there was one thing that the girl was passionate about, it was making sure that Kouta and her family was happy. Yuka never had any large ambitions; no dreams of becoming famous, hitting it big in the lottery or having a well-paying job. To her, the greatest achievement that a woman could have is raising a healthy family, and behaving as the perfect house wife. Some may find it strange for such an assertive woman to think that way—but in the end, it was all she wanted.

The Doctor's words really settled into the woman's mind. His points were valid—if she continued to be brash and controlling over Kouta, one day he might actually leave! Everything would be gone! That was a ****terrible**** thought, one that was pushed out almost immediately. For a while, her cousin had no motivation, but with Lucy back, that alone could very will stir the initiative that was needed in order for Kouta to speak his mind and live his own life. The confusion as to what had happened to his family was what crippled him from the beginning.

Without it, Kouta could live his life in peace now.

"You... you promise that he will get better if I were to calm down?" Yuka was unsure of how to behave; everybody knew her for her attitude. Perhaps if she began to relax and treat people with courtesy, she would have more friends and a better social life. And Kouta would be more than willing to take her around.

She grinned, balling up one of her fists and popping it down against an open palm, "Then I guess I have no other choice but to change my attitude—especially if it's for the better. It's a little difficult to imagine my mother's ideals being wrong, but it's something that I will try to accept." Yuka sighs, slouching a little, running a hand through her hair. "It's going to be hard…"

Her voice trails for a moment, picking it back up with another sweet, confident smile.

"But if Lucy can turn a new leaf, then I can as well."

The Doctor took his fist and shook it in triumph in front of him. "I _know_ you can, Yuka. It'll be difficult, surely, but it _really_ will all be worth it in the end. The moment you change your attitude, everyone, and I mean _everyone_, will see the difference from what you were before."

"You really think so, Doctor?" Yuka asked. "I never really thought I _could_ change my attitude."

"And Lucy never thought she would stop killing. But as you said, if Lucy can turn over a new leaf and start over, then so can you." Flashing a toothy grin, he brought the mother hen into a supportive hug, embracing her as she had just made a breakthrough.

"This is what I love about you humans. Even though you always have a lot of negative things about you and muck things up, the moment you find something is wrong, you _always_ set about changing them." He laughed. "That's an absolutely wonderful quality you lot have, unlike any race I've seen on any planet."

Yuka looked up at the taller Time Lord within the embrace, her smile growing wider. "Brilliant." He said, looking down at Yuka, his grin as persistent as ever. "You lot are just _brilliant._"

Yuka could not help but giggle as she was pulled into a warm, supportive embrace—truth be told, she felt as if a large weight had been removed from her back; she could breath. It would not be easy, but she had the confidence that this style of living could all be turned around. Her heart swelled, the thought of Kouta actually enjoying her company made her rejoice!

"Heheh, you seem to be bringing good luck wherever you go, sir—speaking of which," Yuka's brows raised, cranking her head to look up at him, "—what do you mean by 'you humans'? You aren't—you aren't one of us? You look just as human as me and Kouta! And you don't have horns, so you CAN'T be like Nyu—, er... Lucy. Wait-! Are you an _**ALIEN?**_**"**

Retreating from the man's arms, her feet pat against the floor. The inside of the TARDIS held technology that nobody here in Japan had ever seen before, despite how advanced their country was—things that humans would not be able to comprehend just by taking one look.

"—This thing must be a SPACE SHIP or something! See, I THOUGHT it was pretty strange when Kouta told me there was a police box out by the street. There isn't anything like this anywhere in Kamakura, or the Kanagawa prefecture! Am I right?"

"Quite right, actually." The Doctor said, wandering beside Yuka as she gazed upon the Gallifreyan technology that stood around her. "Police Boxes these days are rare to come across, as they were mainly used from the 1800s onward in England. The particular Police Box model that you saw outside is from the year 1963."

"But... inside it's-!"

"Nothing quite like what you have seen before, I imagine. My TARDIS, as I said, can not only travel in space, but through time as well."

Yuka's jaw was still dropped in amazement. "So... this Police Box... can actually travel through time?" She tried to piece together. "..._Wow_!"

"I get that a lot." The Doctor stated, still grinning as wide as ever.

"So this _is_ alien? Are you-"

"Alien as well?" The Doctor finished. "To put it bluntly, yes! This technology that you see is actually from my home planet, Gallifrey, where my race lives within the constellation of Kasterborus."

"Galli-what?" Yuka whirled back around to face the Doctor. "So, you're not a Martian?"

"No, Yuka. Martians are from Mars, and Mars would not support life until the Human Terriformation Project of 4150. _That_ would then give birth to the Martian race. Rather, a Human/Martian hybrid race, I should say."

He chuckled. "But I'm nothing like the aliens that you _think_ you know about. You see, Yuka..." The Doctor flashed a toothy grin. "...I'm a Time Lord."

"Time Lord! _Zipping through all of space and time, kind of like a super hero! _This sounds like the title for a prime time television show that Kouta would have watched as a kid," Yuka chuckles against the back of her hand. And then came a giggle. And another one! She was so amused, and happy! And plenty of other synonyms for this sensation! It had really struck Yuka that, maybe for now on, she could sleep with confidence that her family cared for her—especially with her gentler outlook on life.

"I think it's kind of silly that you chose a police box for the basis of your space ship here," she mentioned passively, taking another look at all of the switches and features, "I guess it makes it easier for you to blend in though! Heheheh."

* * *

Daily activities had commenced while the two had their private discussion. "—Gee," Nana worries out loud, sighing and filling Wanta's bowl full of dry dog food, "they've been in there for a while, I sure hope that Yuka didn't do something to make Mr. Doctor upset!" The little silpleit watched Wanta jump around, forgetting to watch the amount of food going into the bowl. "Do you think they're okay?"

* * *

Yuka was beginning to wind down from her childlike wonder over the Doctor, his TARDIS and all of this fictional business becoming reality, "I bet Nyu had a good time traveling around in this thing, Lucy too. Heck. Anybody would want to take a ride in a spaceship."

The Doctor laughed. "Oh, believe me, Yuka." He said. "Lucy had _no idea _what to make of the TARDIS either. She thought it broke the laws of physics, when it's actually quite the contrary. Nyu, however, said something rather cute about it."

The Doctor scratched his head. "What did she say? That it was 'like a magician swoops in from his magic box and saves the day?' Something like that."

Yuka giggled. "That sounds like Nyu, alright." She said. "If I were in Lucy's position, I'd be just as perplexed. How exactly does this _not_ break the laws of physics?"

"This dimension that we're in now, is a transcendental dimension that fits within a smaller object, hence the Police Box being much smaller on the exterior. However, I didn't choose that disguise. The TARDIS itself did."

"The... _TARDIS_ chose to be a Police Box?" Yuka asked.

"Precisely. The TARDIS, when it first lands, generates a field block within a thousand mile radius of the current surroundings within a ten-thousandth of a second. As it materializes, it camouflages with whatever is in the TARDIS's data banks."

"So your TARDIS took the form of a Police Box in 1963?"

"That's right." The Doctor nodded.

Yuka's head tilted. "...In the year _2007?_"

The Doctor opened his mouth before nervously laughing. "Funny story, that. My Chameleon Circuit, the device that makes the TARDIS disguise itself, malfunctioned and broke quite some time ago. Back _in_ 1963, believe it or not."

He sighed. "That happened when I was a _lot_ younger, though. When I was, what... 280 years old?" The traveler flashed a toothy grin. "Funny how time flies when you're a Time Lord." He said.

"Heh, you'd think that with all the time on your hands, it would take ages to pass! I bet it would be hard for you to live the short life that people like me have, especially with how ambitious you seem to be."

Yuka sighs, directing her eyes on the TARDIS door; the conversation had stirred up some genuine emotion in the woman's heart—everybody outside deserved an honest apology from her. As much fun as it was to ask the Time Lord about his lifestyle and the technological advances that came with it, she felt that now was the absolute best time to approach the family of the Maple Inn.

The topic of time passing by actually summoned a sense of panic for Yuka; she was nearly twenty one. Twenty one! And she'd been spending this entire time being a complete prune to the one she loved the most! That's almost an entire QUARTER of her lifetime! As silly as the thought was, the mother hen had to speak up.

The Doctor saw that Yuka was deep in thought, and decided to rouse her. "Would you like for me to-"

"Sorry to interrupt Doctor, but, I think it's time for me to let you and Lucy go. You've spent a good chunk of your time talking to me—and I really need to go out there and voice my apologies. If I don't do it right now, I'll probably chicken out and bury my thoughts in the back of my mind again." She turns her head off to the side, trying to hide her blush of humility.

The Doctor smiled. "Of course, Yuka." He said. "Here. Let me get the doors." As he flipped the door switch, the double doors swung open slowly as the blue police box doors revealed themselves. "Come on, Yuka. When you're done with your apology, Lucy and I will clear out. She'll want to hear it too."

Yuka nodded. "Okay, Doctor. I think I'm ready to do this."

Striding past her, the Doctor opened the door for the mother hen, and the two filed out of the TARDIS. As he closed the door behind him, he cleared his throat.

"Could I have everyone's attention, please?" He asked, seeing that everyone was on the porch, waiting for Yuka to come out in the first place. "My dear friend Yuka has something to say to all of you."

With a nudge, the Doctor winked at Yuka. "Go ahead." He whispered. "I know you can do it."

When Kouta caught sight of Yuka finally coming through the doors of the police box, he snickers somewhat, "That took long enough. Hopefully she didn't give you too many problems." Of course, this was all light-hearted in tone.

Nana turned around from playing with Wanta, tilting her head somewhat, all ears for whatever was going on—the same went for Mayu, who was tidying up the mess of dog food that had been spilled everywhere.

"—Not THAT many problems, some problems, but not too many," Yuka answered with a slight huff, keeping her attitude under control. She gulps thickly, rubbing at her neck in an anxious manner—her eyes finally fell on the Diclonius that sat on the porch steps, one leg folded over the other.

"I think I owe you guys a huge apology for being so—brash? Bossy? Do either of those words fit it?" She feels a little more confident in her words after breaking the awkward ice, "—Ehh, you guys know how I've always been acting. Especially towards you, Kouta."

Kouta was visibly surprised by this sudden confession, sitting up where he sat.

"I just don't want you guys to walk on eggshells anymore when you're around me! I'm gonna change, I'm gonna try and be a lot more patient and less assertive. Especially with the past behind us now. Just...—I'd want to know if you guys are willing to help me with it?"

Nana giggled, one hand over her mouth, "Of course Yuka-san! It would be silly if we didn't! You're our mama, after all."

The mother hen grinned, rubbing the back of her head, "You really think that way?!"

"Yeah!" Nana said. "Don't you think so Mayu?"

"Y-yes!" Mayu spoke up. "You took us both in when we had no where else to go. Why wouldn't we help you?"

Yuka then looked at the college boy. "What about you, Kouta?" She asked. "I know how I've been... mean-spirited and less than thankful for all you've done. Will you... will you still help me? Despite what I've done to you?"

Kouta smiled and stood up. "Of course, Yuka." He said, nodding. "We _all_ care for you, and we all love you. I don't see why we wouldn't, either."

Yuka warmly smiled, almost taken aback by the support she was receiving. "You guys..."

The Doctor put a hand on her shoulder just as she was about to say something. "Did I not tell you Kouta cares for you, Yuka? Look at this family you and him helped raise. And now look. You've got Lucy, as well as Nyu. You have more support than you think."

Yuka looked up at the Time Lord. "I wish I could have seen it plain as day." She said. "Shows how much punching Kouta made me blind to that."

The Doctor chuckled. "I'm very proud of you, Yuka." He said. "Really, I am."

Yuka bows her head with a sense of humility, smiling to herself before wiping away one simple tear—a sign of happiness. "Really—I really appreciate it you guys! I promise it's going to be a lot happier around here!" Raising her head, the mother hen turns her attention to Lucy, who was resting against the side of the inn, watching everything unfold in a comfortable silence.

"The same goes for you, Miss Lucy," she chuckles softly against the back of her hand, "you're always welcome here, and I won't chastise you for your actions. Just as long as you do your chores!"

The Diclonius rolls her eyes somewhat, the edge of her lip tugging into an amused smirk.

"Typical Yuka. Then again, I suppose you got used to Nyu being so excited about scrubbing floors," Lucy retorts in a playful manner—it was a little strange to see the pinkette interacting so freely with another.

Kouta sighs in content, "Then, I guess with all of that taken care of, you two will be leaving to go out and walk around Kamakura?"

"I'm afraid so, Kouta." The Doctor said. "Lucy and I would love to stay, of course. But I'm sure you know how it is with me. Things to do, places to be. I _am_ a busy man, after all." He chuckled, grinning at the pleasant moment that unfolded before him.

It was so wonderful that everything ended up turning positive for everyone. Lucy got what she wanted, and ended up being integrated into this ragtag family. Not only that, the Doctor was able to help _Yuka_, of all people. If success had a definition, this would be it.

"I understand what you mean, Doctor." Kouta said.

"Lucy!" The Doctor called out. "I've got to retrieve K-9. Can you help fetch my shoes and clothes? Everything should be on the desk in the guest room."

A single nod, Lucy heads indoors to gather up the Doctor's belongings, mulling over everything that had happened. There had been so much reform within a day's time; out of all of this stress, she had gained a family in the end, and earned the respect of a woman that scorned her existence for so long. Lucy dared to smile to herself, sighing lightly.

"D_OCTOR!_ I still have one more question!" Nana peeps, balling her hands into fists and jumping a little, "I wanna know!" Without popping out of her prosthetics, the silpelit runs over like a hyperactive child, Wanta in tow.

"I wanna know if you'll return to us for Koyurugi Jinja Ten'osai in July! Mayu was telling me all about it, she said it's a huge HUGE festival where people play lots of music and welcome the good spirits into the city! You and Lucy-san would have so much fun!" Her hands were folded together in a begging manner, rocking on her feet.

Kouta intervenes for a moment, walking over, "Now I'm sure he'd love to if he isn't busy. Didn't you just hear him? He has a lot to do," the college boy reminds lightly, before looking upwards at the Time Lord with a grin.

"Thanks, Doctor. For everything you've done for us. You're always welcome."

The Doctor placed a hand on Kouta's shoulder. "I didn't do anything for you." He said. "You did this all yourself. I merely just gave you lot the nudge you needed out of the door." The Time Lord flashed a toothy grin to Kouta. "You and Yuka have made me _very_ proud. Just remember." He stuck a finger in Kouta's face.

"If Yuka acts up again, stand your ground. Don't let her push you."

Kouta scratched his head, and laughed. "I won't forget that, Doctor."

"I have to go find K-9." He said, walking past Kouta. "K-9! Where are you?"

Walking down the hallway, he ended up finding K-9 in the study. "K-9, have you been recharging your batteries?" The Doctor asked.

"Affirmative." K-9 responded. "Are we preparing to depart, Master?"

"Yes. Come on, K-9. We've got places to be." The Doctor walked out with K-9 in tow.

As he made his way down the hallway, he walked past the very thing that gave him dread last night. He stopped in his tracks, and gazed at it.

The Grandfather Clock.

...Odd. It _didn't _give him that same feeling that he felt last night. Was it all in his head? He squinted his eyes. This was _very_ odd indeed...

Peering behind the clock, he tried to do what he did the other night. Find a door that opened. The Doctor peered into the back of the clock, and raised his eyebrows.

Nothing. No door handle. Not even a lock.

The Time Lord exhausted a sigh of relief. Thank goodness that _he_ wasn't here. There were some great things happening, and he didn't need _his_ meddling to turn it all pear-shaped.

"Master?" K-9 asked. "Are you alright?"

"Hmm?" The Doctor looked over to his metal companion. "Yes! Yes, I am! Come on, K-9. Let's get you back in the TARDIS."

"Affirmative."

His clothing and belongings had generously been folded by Yuka and put into a basket for his convenience—Lucy had asked for the small favor to be done while the Time Lord was inside fetching K-9. Once the Diclonius spotted the two returning outside, she offers a calm smile to everybody.

"I will be back, rest assure. Stay out of trouble, yes?"

For the first time in ages, her vectors are used for a gentle purpose, to delicately pat Mayu and Nana on their heads, "Especially you two."

The two girls giggle softly, Mayu speaking up, "We will, don't worry! After all, we're the mature ones of the house!"

Lucy chuckles as well, cranking her had to glance over at the scarved man, "I believe everything is set," she offers out the basket that Yuka had provided, "it's a ten minute walk from here to the boardwalk. And from there we can enter Kamakura."

Before allowing the two to depart, Yuka speaks up and waves, "Enjoy yourselves guys! We'll be here, we aren't going to be leaving any time soon! Lucy! Make sure he tries to local okonomiyaki!"

It may have felt like a mundane, average conversation among family members to those looking on the outside— but to Lucy, it's something that she had always wanted.

Normality.

"I'll be sure to keep a look out!" The Doctor said, donning the coat and lacing up his shoes. He then wrapped the scarf around his neck and placed his hat on top of his curly hair. . "Thank you for letting us stay, Yuka." He waved at the family as the three travellers walked back to the TARDIS. As he opened the door for Lucy and K-9, he shared one last look at the family and tipped his hat.

"Don't you forget me you lot." The Time Lord said.

"We won't ever forget you Mr. Doctor!" Nana piped up. "Just so long as you don't forget us!"

The Doctor chuckled. "Until we meet again, then. Aufederzein!" With that, he turned heel and walked into the TARDIS, shutting the wooden door.

* * *

Inside the console room, as Lucy leaned on the console, the Doctor roamed over to the controls. He smiled to himself.

"I think we should leave a lasting impression on them. Don't you think so, Lucy?" Not awaiting an answer, he flicked his fingers around the dials and switches to trigger the dematerialization. "Hold tight, Lucy! Here we go!"

The Diclonius grips onto the handles near the triggers and dials of the TARDIS control panel, eagerly waiting to see the members of the Maple Inn family jump and shout in amusement, "Is the display on? I want to see their faces. Especially Mayu and Nana," she looks upwards, searching for a moment before taking a quick look at the display's screen, able to see all of them crowded around nearby.

When the Time Lord flipped the switch, the TARDIS produced a series of hums and mechanical noises, before beginning to dematerialize and vanish right in front of them, clear as day!

* * *

"U-UAHHH! That's AMAZING! SO AMAZING!" Nana leaps, arms in the air and eyes wide, "He really IS a magician! Oh WOW!"

Mayu hung onto her friends shoulders, giggling and amazed, "Careful Nana! You don't want to lose your arms and legs like you did last time!"

Even Yuka was taken aback with amazement, clapping her hands together, "I guess you were right Kouta! Your silly comic books aren't that incorrect, are they?"

The college boy leans back with his arms folded, a warm smile on his face, "Yeah—I guess not. Hnh. This sure has been one hell of time having those two here." He turns, offering that same smile to Yuka, "Who would've thought that it would take an extra-terrestrial and a girl with horns to bring you down a few notches?"

Yuka's eyes lit up, almost tempted to smack him—but instead, she leans back, rolling his eyes and chuckling. "I'll take that as a compliment."

* * *

And just like that, the police box had vanished, as if it had never been there in the first place. Lucy stood there in silence for a moment as her family disappeared from the screen; her heart has swelled and grown to new sizes these past few days. For a moment, she even felt… Human.

"They're wonderful…" The Diclonius' eyes soften just before shutting, speaking only loud enough to be heard. "You're right Doctor. Humans really are a wonderful species.

"Yes." The Doctor said simply. "Just as I had told you before, Lucy. There's a good reason why I will always defend humans, and that was it."

As the TARDIS was now in mid-flight, the Doctor put the in Earth orbit, to have a bit of one on one time with Lucy before setting to explore Kamakura.

"You've certainly changed in just a few days, have you, Lucy?" The Doctor asked, going up to the Diclonius, and leaning on the console. "In just a span of forty-eight hours, you're quite the far cry from the girl that spoke to me with a blatant hatred for mankind. How does it feel?"

"I'd be lying if I told you that I understand my own emotions right now; much of it is completely foreign to me. There's still a significant amount of time that it will take before I can come to trust people easily—and even longer before I can lay down at night and have confidence in who I am," Lucy answered, running a hand through her hair in thought.

"It's... It's a start though..." a smile is offered, "Just having the promise of family is enough to make me feel like I've been making progress. Even the voice within my mind only lingers for but a moment…"

Lucy had her own questioning to do, however. "I couldn't help but hear your unrest the other night. Your commotion was… Surprisingly loud. Was something the matter? I heard it briefly before going outside and finding you and Kouta on the steps."

The Doctor widened his eyes. He _really_ hoped he didn't want to discuss that. He had hoped to get a few peaceful laughs with Lucy before landing the TARDIS in Kamakura. He never hoped that she would raise questions of his very _nightmare_.

Let alone the hallucination of the _Instinct._

Turning away from Lucy, he too his hat off, throwing it on the hatstand as it landed on one of the spokes. "I..." The Doctor tried to get a word out. What could he _say_? Fingers ran through the tangled curls of his hair, as his hand trailed to cover his mouth. Both hand were placed on his hips, as he looked downward, his back still turned.

"...I had a nightmare, Lucy." He finally said. "It... It involved _everybody._ You, Nyu, Kouta, Yuka, Mayu, Nana... _everybody._"

He closed his eyes, still hearing the faint voice in his head from the night before.

* * *

"_Look what you made me do..."_

* * *

Lucy hadn't seen the Doctor in this kind of distress since his first encounter with the Instinct; vivid memories of waking up and seeing him tremble and scream in disarray, it was terrible—the diclonius could only assume that his night terror had to do with that very same demon.

"All of us… It sounds to me that you were very stressed about everything that was going on. The Instinct must have gotten to you when you dug into my memories. You don't think—-…"

Her voice trails, biting her tongue. The thought that had made an appearance in her mind was preposterous! There was no way that the Instinct entered the Time Lord's dreams herself. That was impossible! It was but a manifestation, a DNA voice that all diclonii had in the back of their minds.

It_ wasn't an organic creature_.

"I don't know _what_ to think, Lucy." The Doctor said. "But the dream I had... it was terrible. Frightening."

He turned around to face Lucy, his look almost distant as he relived the horrible memories of his terror. "We were in Vienna, Austria. The entire family, you and I were at an exhibit of Gustav Klimt. Brilliant artist, he is, even though some of his art is very dreary and depressing. All seemed normal, as everyone was enjoying themselves." The Doctor chuckled. "Kouta even seemed rather bored through the whole exhibit."

Lucy couldn't help but stifle a small laugh from that thought. That certainly _sounded_ like Kouta.

"We were going through the exhibit, eventually coming up on Klimt's famous piece, Der Kuss, or The Kiss, when Nyu called out to me and pulled me along to show me something. The lights flickered, and suddenly Nyu... _Nyu was..._ was covered in _blood._"

He scrunched his eyes as the images came rushing back to him in rapid succession. "Not just Nyu, either... _everything..._"

The Time Lord's eyes widened in fear.

"_Everything _was covered in blood. Even the paintings."

The Doctor rubbed his forehead. Yes, it was _all_ coming back to him, and in a _bad_ way, too.

* * *

"_Nyu made it pretty!"_

* * *

He leaned on the console, the whole endeavor making him sick to his stomach. "I panicked. The lights suddenly flickered, and flashed back on. _No one_ was in the museum. It was completely empty."

The Doctor looked at Lucy in the eye.

"I was alone, Lucy. I was _all_ alone."

It sounded so unlike the Doctor to have such vivid nightmares like that—Lucy could practically see the entire background in her mind. The artist hall, the painting, the family gathered together, only vanish in a macabre display of red.

"Gustav Klimt, I know of him." Lucy answers casually, "Well ...heard of, that is. I never learned much about the man outside if his name and some of his paintings. But, that is aside the point… That is a strange dream for you to have, Doctor. I have had some morbid nightmares in my time, and that still leaves me… _**Shaken**_."

The horned one leans forward, completely enveloped in the man's story, "And then, dare I ask, what happened next?"

The Doctor bit his lower lip, his eyes closing again as he continued to relive the awful nightmare. "The people in the paintings... They actually changed to people with... familiar faces." He exhausted a sigh, trying to maintain his composure. "Some of whom were my closest companions, long before you and I met."

Images of Susan in Lucy's vice grip in Der Kuss flashed in his mind. The _whole_ ordeal was unsettling...

"So I ran. I ran, and ran, and ran, until I was hearing a child crying. While I heard that, a voice... what sounded like a mother, was trying to calm it with a lullaby."

* * *

_"Hush little baby, don't say a word…_ _Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird…"_ _"And if that mockingbird doesn't sing…_ _Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring…"_

* * *

"The child sounded like a little girl, crying out and saying, 'It hurts, mama. It hurts.'" Twisted images of the shadowed child flashed in his mind.

* * *

"_Look what you made me do."_

* * *

"When I saw the child, it was completely shadowed. As if the darkness itself bore that child. When I laid eyes on it... I couldn't move." The Doctor rubbed his chin, _still_ trying to keep calm and stay strong for Lucy. The whole nightmare was something he had _never_ experienced before. Terrors that happened before his eyes, he often conquered. But terrors of the _mind...?_ "The child then started repeating a phrase. A simple, child-like phrase that has kept _haunting_ me ever since I've had that dream." He gazed into Lucy's eyes, horror taking form in the Doctor's voice. "It kept saying, 'Look what you made me do.'"

* * *

"_Look what you made me do!_

* * *

"It wouldn't stop saying that. Not even after some sort of... hideous hellspawn took its place as it transformed..."

* * *

"_LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO!"_

* * *

"I then fell from a pit that opened up around me, and take a wild guess as to who was standing above me?" The Time Lord's eyes widened, as his gaze wandered off to the side. "The _Instinct itself_ was standing above me, shouting as if I had entered Hell itself." He then starting reciting _exactly_ what the Instinct decreed to him in the dream, as if he heard it plain as day... -

* * *

"__YOU CAN NEVER SILENCE ME! I AM THE BEGINNING AND I AM THE END! AND THE MORE YOU TRY TO FIGHT IT, THE MORE YOU WILL ALL SUFFER WHEN I ASCEND FROM THIS CESSPOOL! THE BEAST IS, AND IS NOT, AND IS ABOUT TO RISE! LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO!___"_

* * *

"As the Instinct threw a fit of rage, clawing and scratching her own face, I saw..." He stopped, choking back his voice as fear and sadness overtook him from the images he saw.

"...Bodies, Lucy." He said, slinking down to the floor next to the console. "There were bodies of my previous companions. From when I had first left Gallifrey, up until I met you." The Doctor looked at Lucy.

"They were dead, Lucy." He said quietly. "All of them. Murdered. Brutalized. Maimed." His eyes scrunched shut again. "And I couldn't save them."

A_bsolutely_ _mortified_, legitimate shock lingered on Lucy's face—these were borderline psychotic, dangerously similar to the hallucinations that she herself had experienced when under the deep influence of the Instinct! None of this sounded as if it was a coincidence—it was too accurate, too real. A chill crawls up the diclonius' spine as that very voice haunted her memories.

"Look what you made me do…!" "I did it **all**, all of it!" "**LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO**!"

Lucy stumbles backwards with a gasp—no, she had to have just been imagining that. All of this conversation was bringing up negative thoughts. Narrowing her eyes, a hand presses into the horned one's skull, fending off the beast within.

"That's appalling," Lucy puts bluntly, actually angered after this. It felt like a personal attack from her own Instinct, but what kind of ridiculous logic was that? There was absolutely no way that it could have been proven true.

"You are fine now though, right? You haven't been having any abnormal thoughts since then?"

The Doctor could only shake his head. "I wish I could say that it all ended there. But here is when you started to hear me scream."

He was able to find the fortitude to stand again, helping himself back up on the console, and leaning against it, rubbing the bridge of his nose trying to stave off the trauma he had experienced. "Shortly after I woke up, I tried to make heads or tails out of that entire experience. I wasn't sure if the Instinct really _DID_ get inside my head like that after I peered into your memories. I hoped it wasn't the case."

"I didn't have long to think about it until I heard footsteps outside the door. I had assumed Wanta or Mayu were taking a bathroom break or something similar. I walked towards the door, and... _hesitated _opening it."

The Doctor clenched his fist, trying to continue telling the story.

"I slid the door open, Lucy, and..." The Doctor sighed heavily. "The Instinct... She was _there! Standing right there in front of me!"_

* * *

"_What are you doing here!? Get away from me! Leave my friends alone!"_

* * *

"Fear, anger, shock and panic were coursing through my body as I was _literally_ scrambling away from her." He closed his eyes again. "I kept calling for K-9 to wake up..."

* * *

"_K-9! Please! Wake up! Help me!"_

"_K-9! HELP ME!"_

* * *

"K-9 didn't wake up because that was a hallucination that was playing _in my head_. But I didn't know. I was terrified beyond the capacity for rational thought. I didn't know if she had the power to really kill me."

The Time Lord turned around, leaning overhead on the console, his knuckles whitening as his hands balled into fists. There were few things the Doctor got legitimately angry about, but he knew the Instinct took sick pleasure in torturing him mentally. He _knew_ it.

And it made him _sick_.

"The Instinct kept saying that it would kill everyone on Earth, leaving no human alive. And went into sickening detail about ripping me apart, right down to the last entrail."

He looked upward, venom now coursing through his own voice. "Then, she had the _audacity_ to say this..."

* * *

"_Lucy hates you."_

"_She will always hate you... And I will ensure that she kills you last."_

* * *

"By that point, I was on autopilot. Fueled by anger, I made a dash and tried to tackle the Instinct, only to crash and tumble into the wall in the hallway. I ran back into my room only to find the Instinct had vanished. She was gone."

The Doctor gazed back at Lucy. "That was when Kouta had found me. I didn't know _what_ had happened at the time, so I ran outside. I had to get away."

He slumped away from the console, walking to closer to Lucy as he put his hands on her shoulders, smiling weakly at her. "You know, when I had met you, I knew you were capable of extraordinary things, Lucy. I knew you and I would be companions in time, and that you had the capacity to live amongst humans. But, what the Instinct had told me..."

His smile faded, as his hands slid off of Lucy's shoulders. The Doctor turned away, his head cranked to the side, looking behind him.

"You really don't _despise_ me, do you?" He asked. "_Please_ be honest with me. I know you succumb to hatred very easily. But do I really elicit that kind of emotion from you?"

The Time Lord's gaze drifted downward. "Do you _hate_ me, Lucy?"

The reign of terror that was known as the Instinct. It did not take much to stir a vivid memory in Lucy's mind, the very first encounter that she'd had with that astral monster.

Many nights spent alone as a child involved falling in and out of flu-induced nightmares—images of the frail, sickly child knelt down in a pool of blackness, hands over her eyes.

I_f only… I were a little stronger—I can feel something… Inside of me…_

Flashes of limbs reaching higher, higher, HIGHER into the sky, spreading around Lucy like the limbs of a black widow, prepared to take in anything that dared to step too close.

I_f I were stronger, I could protect myself…_

It was a voice that lingered in the back of the minds of every horned beast that lived on this earth, egging on the host to kill and maim in the name of their species. To create a world in which they could belong. To bring humanity to its extinction. To flex their strength and show their dominance.

Lucy's Instinct—it was the most savage of them all. A personal assassin, murdering in the name of it's queen. To some, they may interpret it's actions as well intentional, only wanting to protect it's vessel.

"Doctor…"

Raising her head and looking at the jaded, strained Time Lord, Lucy frowns with true sorrow; despite it not being her personality causing all of this suffering, it was still a monster that resided in her mind. Many people did not understand the difference in split personalities, and so, at the end of the day, Lucy herself was the one that was looked at as a beast.

Some days— she even doubted it herself. Maybe she is the one at fault?

"Doctor, I don't hate you…"

Any fragment of self doubt was forced out of her head for a moment to vocalize her answer.

"**I ****_DON'T_**** hate you**. It isn't me doing this!" Her arm shoots out to the side, the other pressing against her chest firmly, "The Instinct just wants to gain more edge over me, in this body! It's always been her driving me to do all of these terrible things. _SHE_ is the one that has fostered my negative thoughts since I was but a child. Yes, I may still have a grudge on humans. And yes, there are still some moments where I wonder whether or not all of this is worthwhile…"

She raises her head, staring at the scarved man with a new sense of strength, "But at the end of the day, even if I were to _FAIL_—I would never hate you… Not after everything that you've been doing for me. If I were to despise the one person that ever gave pity to a beast like me, then I'd be nothing but filth."

K-9, listening to the conversation himself, decided to interject as well.

"Master." K-9 said. "You are encountering an overload of stress and emotional fatigue. It is true that I did not reactivate when you called out to me, but it was as you had said. There were no threats that my sensors could detect."

The Doctor looked over at the robot as his eyes were lidded from emotional exhaustion, reliving the nightmare.

"The situation is nominal, Master." K-9 reassured. "Mistress Lucy shows no signs of negativity towards you, and there are no threats detected within the TARDIS, or when we were in the hospitality of Master Kouta and his friends."

The Doctor blinked, trying to snap out of his spell.

_What was he thinking?_ He did so much for Lucy, and even _she_ acknowledged that while she still held a grudge on humans, she did not deny that she was improving and was more than willing to carry on for the Time Lord.

"I can assure you, Master-"

"Shut up, K-9." The Doctor said, regaining some positive emotions before smiling at his metal companion. "You already proved your point." He turned around to face Lucy, his smile starting to return.

"You're right, Lucy." The Doctor said. "I think the Instinct is trying to get an edge of not just you, but the both of us." He rubbed his forehead, chuckling. "I should have known you wouldn't hate me after what we've been through so far."

The Doctor wandered up to Lucy and drew the Diclonius into a warm embrace. "You're my friend, Lucy. You always will be. It was foolish of me to think that you would hate me. I'm sorry, Lucy."

He brushed the pink locks on her horned head. "I'm very sorry to doubt you."

She could not help but allot a quiet snicker when the Time Lord instructed K-9 to shut up; the robotronic canine had always had a loud mouth—but what he had been saying was true. Lucy showed no hostility towards either of them, nor any chance of doubting the friendship between herself and the Doctor. Despite usually hiding emotions, hatred and disdain were two that were never held back.

Had the beast been holding a grudge, it would have been obvious.

"Yes… You should realize at this point that I usually do not back down on my thoughts," she speaks quietly, closing her eyes and returning the tight hug to the patriarchal figure. Lithe fingers gripped at the tough fabric of his coat, relaxing instantaneously.

"I realize that, Lucy." The Doctor said as the embrace tightened. "But I just wasn't sure what to think. I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize though—any sort of night terror of that magnitude would have me doubting myself as well." The beast responded truthfully, a melancholy smile upon her lips; the look in her eye showed that she herself had experienced her share of tormenting dreams.

And while Lucy would not confide in the Time Lord, in fear of grieving him, those nightmares continued on to this day.

"But I can _assure_ you, Doctor, it will be a cold day in Hell before I betray your trust." There was a sense of strength in the horned one's words, a confidence that wasn't often heard when Lucy spoke. It was a sign that she was beginning to believe in herself, rather than being wrapped up in doubt.

Releasing his grip and pushing Lucy in front of him, so that he could see the pink hues of the Diclonius, the Doctor couldn't help but smile back.

"Thank you, Lucy." He said. "I think I needed to hear that. I'm happy you're saying that with confidence, too. With the Instinct barging in constantly, I'm never sure what to believe now." He ruffled Lucy's bangs. "I'm glad to know you still think of me as a friend."

With a relieved sigh, the Doctor bounded back to the console, ready to take the TARDIS out of orbit. "Now that I think we've gotten all of that straightened out, Lucy, what say we take a visit to the urban side of Kamakura?" He then input the coordinates and just before he flipped the lever, he flashed a toothy grin to the pinkette.

Aquick pat to the head, and Lucy sighed in content, like a child that had been praised for their well doings.

"Let's have some much needed fun now, shall we?" He asked as he flipped the lever, dematerializing the TARDIS from Earth's orbit.

"Absolutely." The diclonius offers a light smile, approaching the control panel, watching the Doctor input commands and coordinates in order for them to land just close enough for them to wander the Kamakura city streets, "This day began on a good note, and I wish for it to end on one as well. While I have never been keen on the people of my home town," she admits plainly, recalling her bitter childhood, "I always have had a soft spot for the architecture. Kamakura hosts a lot of religious sights. Not to mention it is the hub of summer vacation for southern Japan."

"A vacation spot, eh?" The Doctor asked. "That sounds remarkable! We may just be able to squeeze in a quick holiday after all!" He flashed a toothy grin to K-9. "You'd like a holiday, wouldn't you, K-9?"

"Affirmative!" K-9 responded, almost sounding excited.

The engines began to grind to a halt, as the groaning sound of the TARDIS started to emanate. The Time Rotor stopped moving, and the engines stopped with a thud. "Ha ha!" The Doctor laughed. "We've arrived, Lucy!"

Opening the double doors, the Doctor decided to leave his hat inside the TARDIS. The air was cool enough to forgo it for the time being.

He stopped short, though. "Something's missing..." The Doctor said to himself. His head slowly turned to see Lucy's horns were still uncovered. And on the floor underneath the console were her hair ribbons, which were used to hide her horns.

It soon hit him. She discarded them just before the bike ride! "Aha!" He cried, pointing to the ribbons. Striding over, he picked them up and showed them to Lucy. "I don't think people are quite set to see your horns in the city. Here, allow me."

Lucy had completely forgotten that her horns were uncovered, due to being able to wander about with them out in the open around her family—and so, when the Doctor retrieved the ribbons from the floor of the TARDIS, she was equally surprised.

The Doctor then quickly set about tying the ribbons to Lucy's horns, hiding them effectively. At first glance, you can't even really tell that the horns were even visible. If he said so himself, he may have done a better job concealing them than Lucy did.

"Right, it wouldn't be a good idea to cause a scene," she chuckles softly, leaning forward and allowing the Doctor to tie them around her horns with care.

Quietly, Lucy closes her eyes, and daydreams for just a moment—imagining what it would be like, had this been an everyday activity for her?

* * *

_Waking up for school in her younger years, excited and dressed up in the primary sailor uniform, a bento box packed for lunch. She would collect her school supplies and make a mad dash to the door. Only to be stopped._ _"__L___ucy, dear! You forgot your ribbons again!"__

_H___er father would bend down carefully as the diclonius grins embarrassed, admitting to being excited for the day as herexcuse for leaving the ribbons behind.__ _"__K___eep them on. They look nice on you.__

_"__T___hank you, Father…!"__

* * *

Tying the last bow on her horn, the Doctor smiled. "There we are!" He said, clapping his hands together. "You're perfectly incognito, Lucy!"

In a matter of seconds, Lucy snaps back to reality, smiling. "Thank you, Doctor…"

Flashing a toothy grin, he ran over to the blue doors and pulled them wide open. His grin became persistent as he slowly walked out of the TARDIS, and into the urban area of Kamakura.

The streets, to little surprise to the Doctor, were as busy as they could be in a Japanese city. The buildings were adorned with flags and bright colored signs, advertising street shops and the like. It certainly wasn't _as_ big as he had imagined, but it was still sizable in its own right. There were still tall buildings here and there, like office buildings. No skyscrapers, however.

No matter, though. This was a moment for exploration. And Lucy seemed primed about it more than ever.

"Well, Lucy?" The Doctor called. "Ready for an urban adventure?"

In order to stick together in the bustling streets, Lucy made sure to stay by the Doctor's side at all times—then again, both of them would be easy to pick out of the crowd if they were to somehow split up. A hand reaches out to grip at the Time Lord's coat, tugging it somewhat.

"Yes, I'm ready," the diclonius nods—there was an inkling of worry in her tone, probably due to the sheer amount of people, though it was quickly dismissed. Nobody was going to give her grief, not as long as she was with another person, right?

Food carts were parked at the corners of streets, men and women peddling their wares. The unmistakable scent of takoyaki mingled and played with fried croquettes. Plenty of people gathered around, handing over yen in exchange for the quick snacks.

There were souvenir shops decorating one of the avenues, dedicated to selling attire and trinkets for tourists to remember their Kamakura vacations. Dispersed among them, clothing boutiques, tea shops and even an art gallery or two made a presence, their signs and flags drawing in plenty of attention.

Lucy grins somewhat, able to appreciate human society in a new light.

"I've lived here my entire life," both of them moved from the TARDIS and into the streets, Lucy chiming in, "but everything is so new."

"It seems that way when you start looking at life from a different perspective." The Doctor explained, closing and locking the TARDIS. "After seeing England when we first met, though, I have a feeling you'd enjoy more of a 'domestic' adventure. After all, there's not much you've seen here, is there?"

Absolutely correct. the Doctor was right on target with that statement. Despite living in the seaside city her entire life, Lucy knew little to nothing about this place. She had spent years with her head down, only seeing things from her perspective.

But now, being able to raise her head high, the diclonius was now capable of experience life to its fullest.

He flashed a toothy grin to the Diclonius, who couldn't help but laugh softly.

"Come on!" He said, pulling her along. "Let's see what we can find!"

With a confident grin to match her stance, Lucy meandered into the city with her companion, excited to see what they would come across.

* * *

Families flooded the streets, stopping to look into the windows of shops, chatting among themselves. The hum of car engines added to the noise, people parking and climbing out to pay the parking meter.

_'_C_'mon let's go! We need to find a good place to put our things at the beach!'_

Lucy wasn't able to focus on just one thing at first—that was until she caught sight of sleek, colorful fabrics in a shop window; a furisode kimono, much like the ones that adults would wear during worship sessions at the shrines.

Stepping over to the window, dainty hands pressed into the glass as Lucy looks up at the display.

"Isn't it gorgeous?" The horned one smiles, pointing up at the display and speaking up, "These are worn by unmarried women on days of worship. It's the proper attired to adorn when going to the temples to pray for a good future."

The Doctor nodded as he recollected the design of the kimono. "Ah, of course!" He said, tapping a finger on his chin. "I've seen some rather splendid kimonos such as this one during the Edo period. I believe I'm actually familiar with the reason as to _why_ this particular one was worn."

He smiled. "I do have to say. It _is_ an elegant design."

"I used to dream of beautiful kimonos as a child. Especially during festival time. All of the women looked so pretty," Lucy recalls, smiling in thought before pulling away from the window. "I'm going to work hard, so that one day I can afford a very expensive one."

The duo continued down the streets, carrying on with their conversation and enjoying the Kamakura lifestyle. A well-deserved day of relaxation—at least, for that moment.

For as either of them would know, _wicked things are always around the corner_…

Lucy had stopped once more to watch a group of taiko drummers playing nearby, dropping her guard for but a minute. Across the street, a man dressed in a trench coat and hat walks along with a coffee in his hand, pausing to sip at it every now and again. What a strange get up for the Japanese summer.

Jaded gray eyes get a look at the Time Lord immediately scanning and noticing the bright pink hair of the girl that was with him.

_"Lucy…"_

Within seconds, he vanished into the crowd once more.

The Doctor was enjoying the Taiko drum street perfomance, bobbing his head to the fast rhythms of the percussive instruments. His grin ever persistent, he glanced down at Lucy to see how she was enjoying herself.

It seemed, however, that her mind wasn't on the performance, but on a strange chap that was in her line of sight. He had _just _missed a man in a trench coat before he vanished.

He raised an eyebrow. Something seemed _very_ peculiar... He then nudged Lucy, getting her attention. "I'm sure there are some more things to see, Lucy. Don't you think?" He asked, trying to get her to flee as discretely as possible. "Come on."

His Time Lord instincts were often right, but he had only hoped they were wrong. _Something_ strange was afoot. The only question was _what?_

It was clear as day, however, to the Diclonius that the Doctor had sensed something extremely wrong. Lucy stares straight up at the scarf wearer, watching him do his best to brush aside the hunch—or at least, make it appear that he wasn't nervous. But what is a lie to a diclonius? There was very little that could get past he_r._

—It was her choice to let it go, though.

"Alright, that's fine." she nodded, leaving the music behind.

* * *

Out near Enoshima's beach, a man in yellow tinted sunglasses sits among the dumpsters, polishing a handgun; the homeless called this place sanctuary during the evening, but when the sun was up, he was the king of the castle.

"I_'ve needed some fucking peace and quiet_," he grumbles, adjusting his sunglasses, "—tch, who am I kidding. Shit's boring out here. That horned bitch took my eyes, took my arms, and then fucked up the ones that the doctors gave me. I haven't seen her in WEEKS! So what the fuck, why are they telling me to stay put?! IT'S BULLSHIT I TELL YOU!"

Bando—people were shocked and appalled by his presence at first, but after a while of him ranting and raving to himself, those who passed by became accustom to his foul mouth.

He had been charged to remain in Kamakura, ordered to shoot on sight if he were to see the diclonius woman. Though, Lucy wasn't a fool. She never wandered out in the open—even so, Bando was but an ant compared to her brute strength.

Standing from the trash heap that he had been resting on, the soldier takes a look at his cleaned gun. "I'd love to press you up against some helpless bastard right about now…"

As he spoke to himself, the same figure that had spotted the Doctor and Lucy had arrived on site, walking over to Bando, his expression calm, "As loud and rowdy as ever."

Snapping his head to the side, the vulgar mouth spits in annoyance, "What're you doing here?" He asked with a gruff voice. He wasn't in the mood to answer any questions that the man might have. Bando raised the weapon, "**Fuck off!** I'm pretty damn bored, so you can't judge me if I feel like blowing your head off."

The other man, remaining relaxed, simply raises his arms in defense.

"I don't think you'd want to do that—I have information for you… Regarding Lucy."

Bando scowled, before lowering his gun.

"Alright, you have my attention." He growled. "Now talk."

* * *

A bit of time had passed before Lucy and the Doctor stopped at a street vendor for some food. The duo of explorers picked up a cup of yakisoba each, with chopsticks in already in hand. As they dove into their street food, the Doctor scanned the area to see if there were _any_ other strange happenings.

The uneasy feeling didn't leave him. But he dared not to tell Lucy for fears of her anxiety being raised, and incurring her wrath. The last thing he needed was for Lucy's rehabilitation to come crashing down.

Slurping on his noodles, he looked at his Diclonius companion. "So, Lucy!" He said jovially. "What do you think of Kamakura, now that you've had a proper look at it?"

Of course, Lucy decided against bringing up the Doctor's unnerving thoughts, more focused on enjoying her day of relaxation. Chopsticks picked at the greens in her yakisoba noodles, careful not to get anything on her shirt.

"It's nice, actually," the diclonius smiles, taking another bite of her noodles; it was inappropriate to slurp your food in public, and so, her speech was spaced out in between bites.

"I could get spoiled off of all of this."

"Most people are, since a good lot are so used to this sort of activity." The Doctor said, taking another bite of noodles. "You're not, of course. So, in your case, it's best if you experience this sort of thing every once in a while. The more you go on holidays like this, the more you become desensitized by them."

Lucy shot him a look, as if she seemed confused by his statement. Catching her look in mid bit, his eyes widened as a bit of noodle hung from his mouth before it was slurped up. He blinked, as he recalled what he just said. It seemed he just put his foot in his mouth with that statement. "Not that _I_ take my holidays for granted mind you!" He said in defense. "What would give you the idea that I would be desensitized by my own travels?"

Lucy's face morphed into a cheeky expression, "Well, Doctor, it could be the fact that you are so casual when it comes to speak about your travels—I'm sure if I ever asked you the question as to whether or not you met the Emperor of China, you would so casually say to me," she clears her throat, prepared to mimic the Time Lord's voice.

"Oh yes! A fine chap he was! Very good at mahjong! Terrible taste in tea though!" Lucy covers her mouth in amusement, before picking at her yakisoba once more.

"Who else would be able to talk about royalty like that? Though—I suppose it would come natural for you to grow accustom and desensitized to your travels and such. Even when it comes to vacations. When you are used to something, you can't help but act as if."

The Doctor scrunched his eyebrows in mock anger as the Diclonius actually made a _rather perfect_ impersonation of the Time Lord. He couldn't help but shrug at Lucy's comment. "I suppose you're right." He said. "Of course, it's difficult to be desensitized to holidays that are as wonderful as mine."

After taking a bit of Yakisoba into his mouth, he pointed his chopsticks to Lucy. "I should tell you, though..." The Doctor started, before swallowing his food. "Sometimes my holidays have been spoiled more often than not by some sort of crisis that has occurred on a planet. You wouldn't believe how often they've been spoiled by an alien invasion, or even by the fact it was ruled by a dictator."

He chuckled as he stirred up his noodles. "It's hard to take my trips for granted when all sorts of excitement is happening."

"That does not sound fun at all—though, I suppose you're accustom to wrenches in your plans. I, for one, probably would as well, if I were in your situation; always moving about, fixing problems. Hmm… Come to think of it, neither of us have really normal lives," Lucy leans back against the bench, placing her yakisoba cup between her legs. Eyes lazily glance upwards at the clouds, watching birds soar over their eyes.

For a moment, she envies their freedom.

"… Then again, there really isn't such a thing as normal, is there?" Glancing over, there was a questioning look on her face, wishing for her thought to be verified as the truth.

"Normality is but a relative thing, Lucy." The Doctor said. "If you talk about peace of mind and times of rest, then I can see what you mean. But to us, there's no such thing as normal."

He flashed a toothy grin as he leaned in close to Lucy's questioning look, echoing the words of his second incarnation. "Because our lives are different from anybody else's. After all... no one else on this planet can do what _we_ do, can they?" He asked, raising his eyebrows like a Cheshire cat.

"You are correct," Lucy nods in thought, tapping her disposal chopsticks against the rim of the noodle container, "I don't know anything about the planet that you are from, or the ones that you have visited, but I think it is safe to assume that they don't have the same life forms as this one… They don't have the same birds, the same insects, the same humans. They don't have the same sea, skies, or grass. I guess that makes Earth beautiful in its own right. And in time—I suppose I will truly be able to appreciate the planet that I call home, without having to reshape it."

The Doctor smiled as he finished off the rest of his yakisoba. Tossing the rubbish into a receptical, he stood up and scratched his curly head. "That was a wonderful yakisoba break." He said, content with the meal he just had. The Time Lord held a hand out to Lucy, offering to help her stand. "Think you're up for a bit more exploring, Lucy?"

"Absolutely." she chimed, dropping the trash into the bin, following after the Time Lord. It had occurred to her that he was rather heavily dressed for the Japanese summer. How could he be comfortable? Shaking her head to herself, Lucy reserves the thoughts, retreating back into Kamakura's crowd.

* * *

Everything was at peace. An unsettling relaxed atmosphere.

"_'B___out___ time that I get tipped off_," the soldier grunts to himself, the butt of his cigarette clutched between his teeth, plucking it with his fingers and taking a drag; Bando had an unnerving fascinating with the idea of killing. To put it bluntly, he practically got off on it. The thought of ending somebody's life and watching their guts spew here and there—it excited him.

He'd been waiting so damned long for this moment. The day that he would get revenge for the monster that stole his arms and his eyes.

"_**I'm coming for you girly…!**_**"**

It took him no time at all to make it into Kamakura's city, his weapons concealed in the light jacket over his shoulders. Green and brown blended into the crowd, eyes shielded from sight.

* * *

The next half hour was spent in ignorant glee, as the Doctor and Lucy spent a good amount of time looking at sights, sharing laughs, and browsing the shopping arcades that were scattered about in Kamakura's urban area.

However, as Lucy was trying on a hat that one of the vendors was selling, a sudden shiver ran down the Time Lord's spine. The Doctor couldn't shake off the feeling that someone was here. That someone may be coming for him.

_Were they being watched...?_

The swarms of people made it difficult to pinpoint who exactly was on their tail. But one thing was clear. They had to shift away, and fast.

As Lucy put down the hat, the Doctor moved closer to the Diclonius and took her hand. As she looked up, both exchanged a smile and went on their merry way. Only the Doctor picked up the pace a bit, hoping to shake off their pursuer...

It did not take much for Lucy to realize the shift in mood; the Time Lord was walking rather quickly for their earlier mood—rushing, not even bothering to stop and look at everything. The change had left Lucy on edge, feeling anxious.

"Uhm—Doctor—_Doctor?_" Her brows furrow, "What are you doing? You're walking pretty quickly! I might trip."

Both hands grip onto one of his, trying to coax him into slowing down a little.

That was when the beast sensed a similar feeling that her companion had as well, unnerving chills crawling through her nerves—the sensation of being spotted among the hundreds of people on the streets.

"Then try to keep up with me, Lucy." The Doctor said, smiling at her. "I _do_ walk pretty quick, after all." Their pace was slowed down just a bit when they came upon a bigger crowd of people. Pausing for a bit, the Doctor scanned within the far reaches of the crowd to see if there was anything out of the ordinary.

The crowd on the opposite side of the street was just as big as the crowd that the Doctor and Lucy hid within. It was far too congested, as there were too many people that looked friendly or nonplussed. He could tell that 99% of the crowd showed no interest in the two.

That was, until he had found the one percent.

The Time Lord caught a fleeting glimpse of a man in sunglasses, and was dressed in a red shirt with a leather jacket over it. It looked like he was pausing to scout the area too.

There was no doubt to the Doctor anymore. _Someone_ was pursuing them. Grasping Lucy's hand, he ducked down and whispered into her ear.

"Stay close to me, and act natural, Lucy." He said.

With that, the two picked up the pace, and weaved between the people in the congested crowd.

"I fucking_ know_ that pink hair and horns are different from what all these other poor bastards look like, but it woulda been pretty damn swell if that detective had told me where the fuck to find that bitch," the soldier complains under his breath, lighting yet another cigarette and bringing it to his lips. Behind his sunglasses, nobody would see the hunter scouting out for prey.

Mixing into the downtown area of Kamakura, Bando recalled something else that the detective had mentioned.

* * *

_"With her is a man, just about over 182 centimeters—he's wearing a thick red coat and a lengthy scarf. You can't miss him. He towers over nearly everybody else in the crowd. Just pick out the one that sticks out like a sore thumb."_

* * *

Bando scoffed, dragging at his cigarette, "Guess I'll have to gun down the big giraffe as well…"

It did not take much longer for the diclonius to realize that the two of them were in danger—the choice in the Time Lord's words could only indicated that there was, indeed, somebody trailing them. Somebody threatening. Lucy picks up her pace, doing her best to remain in a neutral stance, not wishing to give away the fact that the two of them were trying to avoid somebody.

Ten minutes had passed since the vulgar man was sent on his mission—a flash of color then appears in the crowd, moving quickly—a very familiar magenta.

"Ehhh?" A wicked smiles stretches on his cheeks. "Pink hair—found you, ya horned bitch."

One is often told to never look back when avoiding somebody—but then again, curiosity killed the cat is not just a tale, it is the truth. And curiosity was grabbing at Lucy's attention; the diclonius turns around, trying to get a look at whatever was following them, when she saw the same figure that the Doctor had spotted.

"_No..._" Lucy's eyes widen, staring forward, whispering harshly, _"W___e___ need to get out of here _**RIGHT NOW!**"

"We'll weave through the crowds, Lucy." The Doctor said. "I've got an idea..."

The Doctor held on tightly to Lucy's hand as the pair of them weaved through the crowd, trying to see if they could shake off the stranger. There was an allyway that was found just as a torrent of people made their way on the sidewalk. The Doctor dragged Lucy into the ally. "This way." He said. "We'll take a few shortcuts."

When they crossed the allyway, it looked like they had lost him as they found another crowd of people to blend into.

"**Ghhh**, _they think that can just shake me off?_Precious pansies," the soldier grunts to himself, picking up his pace; in the moment, he began shoving through the crowd, not caring who he pushed aside or injured in the process. His eyes were on the gold, and was not going to let the wanted diclonius escape with her life.

"I have a feeling someone has it in for us, Lucy."The Doctor said. "Though it sounded like you knew who I was looking at." He said, still keeping a keen out for any other possible pursuers. "Who exactly was he? Sunglasses, leather coat, and red shirt, it looked like it. _Something_ about him seemed off."

As Bando moved in, closer and closer, Lucy's heart palpitates rapidly, a flood of memories all coming back—the adrenaline of the chase was forcing her to think quickly; if need be, she could use her vectors to pick up their pace.

_"That man is supposed to be dead..!_" Lucy rasped, looking over her shoulder again, "He's been tasked to kill me by the Japanese government! **Quick!**" He had been spotted once more. How was that bastard moving so fast?!

The Doctor was now being dragged by Lucy this time, her own pace quickend as obvious fear took over. If this person has _indeed_ been sent to kill her, _someone_ must have tipped him off. Who could have told him that Lucy was here? Her horns aren't even visible...!

"Lucy! Lucy, calm down!"

The Diclonius refused to stop, her grip tightening on the Doctor's hand. He looked behind, and noticed an obvious ripple of people being created. He must have found them!

Acting quickly, he moved ahead of Lucy. "I have an idea." He said. "Follow me. We're going to lure him."

He then quickly led his companion to another alleyway, and stopped there. As Lucy panted, the Doctor looked straight into her eye.

"Lucy." He whispered. "Follow my lead."

The Doctor feigned exhaustion, wiping his forehead. "Oh dear! It's certainly good that we lost _whoever_ was chasing us! It would be such a shame if they found us in this _alleyway!_"

Had the Doctor completely lost it?! Stopping now to rest—no, he had some sort of plan, there was no way that the Time Lord would ever put Lucy in danger. Had it been anybody else, the diclonius would have ditched the other party and ran off on her own.

But trust was something that had to be built and proven.

Arching her back and panting, both hands on her knees, Lucy tries to catch her breath, hazed maroon hues shaking.

"Y-_yeah_…" She is a _terrible_ actor.

Luckily, the duo did not require being A class thespians in order to throw off Bando—the vulgar soldier did not take long to catch up with the two.

"**TIRED OUT ALREADY?!**" Bando's shadow stretches out and into alley, his handgun cocked and prepared to shoot, "I mean **REALLY?** We've been playing cat and mouse for the past fucking year almost—I've been waiting for you bitch—you mean to tell me that you're tired?!"

It took every nerve in the beast's body not to lash out and kill the hunter right in cold blood.

"What's the matter? _SAY SOMETHING!_ I know how much you like talking shit!" Bando looks over at the Time Lord, amused. "You, are you her baby sitter or some shit? This woman is a criminal! You'll get charged for hiding her wherever the fuck you've been."

The Doctor could not help but widen his eyes at the brash, vulgar man standing behind them. He let out a slew of curse words and insults. In the back of his mind, the Doctor was wishing that he activated the TARDIS's language filter earlier...

Keeping his back turned, he rotated slowly around, until he faced the man. "Dear goodness, you've got quite a mouth. Has anyone told you to watch your language-" He then found the gun in his hand, and flashed a toothy grin. "-Oh, hello! I don't suppose you're our pursuer?"

He kept Lucy behind him, his arms raised to let him know that he was unarmed. "You'll have to excuse my fugitive friend. She needed a bit of air, as my own little 'prison cell' was getting a bit stuffy for her. There's a Police Box not far from here. I'll promptly take her there myself in due time."

Just by looking at this man, the Doctor knew he had more muscle than brains. A simple outwit would do the trick it would seem. He just needed to find an opening...

The Time Lord waved with his hand. "I'm very sorry we haven't properly introduced, dear fellow. I'm the Doctor. If you don't mind, I'd like to know the name of my killer since _obviously_ I won't live too long to know about it."

"What—What the _fuck are you going on about?!_Don't you see that I'm about to paint that building's wall with your brains?! This isn't a game! You're in my way, and your lil' lady friend is my prey," Bando growls, firing a warning shot into a trash can by Lucy's foot.

Promptly, the horned one moves out of the way, blocking any sort of ricochet with her vectors. Eyes hardened further—oh how satisfying it would have been to remind that filthy man just exactly what he was messing had already been defeated at the hands of Lucy twice before. What made him think that he would be successful this time?

Bando was growing anxious as well; his lips pulled into a displeased snarl, pointing his weapon at the Doctor's face once more.

"As for you, I don't care who the hell you are! I don't mind taking you with her!"

"I'm certain that you don't." The Doctor said. "Like you said, this is not a game. My life is in danger, as is hers. We're _obviously_ not going to make it out of here alive. After all, you're the one with the gun, right?"

The mercenary became perplexed by the Doctor's talkative attitude, but still kept the gun aimed right between the Time Lord's eyes. His teeth were gritting. He was becoming impatient. It was working. He needed to keep talking, and buy him and Lucy some time.

The Doctor gingerly moved forward. "All I want to know is your name." He said. "Afterward, you are free to kill me in any way that you wish. I'll even let you decide on how to kill me! Sounds good, doesn't it?" He still moved gingerly closer, but stopped a but short when he got to a close enough distance.

The Doctor had one shot at this. It was time to make it count.

"Now, let's try this again. What's your name?"

Lucy watched each and every step that the Doctor took, keeping an eye on all of his gestures and movements—he was going to get a bullet through his damn skull, she was sure of it! What in the world was he up to? Tempted to intervene, the beast arches down a little, prepared to lash out if need be—but she could not help but notice the Time Lord's posture, as if he were about to grab something and utilize it.

"I don't normally give out my name like a business card to my victims," Bando grunts, almost annoyed by his prey's content attitude. What was the point of the hunt if the deer was not going to run? It was irritating, insulting.

"You're NO different!"

His finger pressed on the trigger, prepared to put a bullet right between the Time Lord's eyes.

The diclonius' heart sinks to her stomach just a moment before...

_"DOCTOR!"_

"LUCY! Stay back!" The Doctor cried out.

The Doctor eyed his killer. He was getting to him, alright. But he _really_ needed to know who this man was. If he wasn't going to let up, he needed to talk.

But he needed to talk _now_.

"On the contrary, my dear fellow. I'm _quite_ different. More so than you would think." He flashed another toothy grin. "Why deny someone who will die one last thing they want? After all, it's just a name. I've told you _mine_."

His smile then became sincere. "I'm looking at the reaper right in the eyes. The least I could have is one last request. It's nothing big. Just your name." He tilted his head downward, still keeping his gaze on the killer. The Doctor had to act soon. The killer was getting impatient, and his finger was pressing on the trigger in anticipation.

"Honor me in my last request, old chap." The Time Lord said. "What's your name?"

Cocking his head back in vexation, the mercenary's lips curl down into a sour smolder; he was not getting any less impatient, and his anger was only bubbling and churning in his stomach. This was not fun at all! In fact, this was just a mockery to _his_ name!

"It's BANDO!" He spat, one of his eyelids twitching in anticipation; unlike his opponent, Bando was not one to react well to words. And unbeknownst to him, all of this was but one large rouse.

Time seemed to stand still as Lucy stared head on at the Time Lord and the hunter, unsure of what was going to happen—her heart maintained shelter in her stomach, almost prepared to spew everywhere.

"Bando, eh?" The Doctor asked. "How do you do? It's a pleasure to meet you for the first, and possibly last time."

The time was now. The Doctor had to act fast. In the back of his mind, as he was already making Bando angry, he formed a plan.

"Now, I can only imagine you want to shoot me right between the eyes. I just have to ask, may I take off my scarf? I don't want the thing damaged and bloodied when I die."

Bando only scoffed as he made a gesture with his gun, signaling him to make it quick.

With a smile, the Doctor unwrapped the scarf around his neck, and looked at the long fabric. Far too often, this twelve-foot striped accessory seemed to have served him well for quite some time. He then glanced over to Bando's legs, as a similar idea from one of his travels popped into his head on what to do.

Looks like it might just prove useful _again_.

Quick as a cat, the Doctor whipped the scarf around one of Bando's legs, which made an instant lasso. With a strong tug, the Doctor was able to trip Bando, his gun toppling out of his hand and in front of the Time Lord.

He made a dive for the gun, and tugged at his scarf again, undoing the knot from Bando's leg. He grabbed Lucy's hand as he ran out of the alleyway like a bat out of hell.

"RUN LUCY!" The Doctor shouted. "RUN!"

"**BRILLIANT!**" Lucy's face beams for just a moment before shifting into gear, grabbing onto the Time Lord's hand as tightly as possible, making a mad dash out of the alleyway and back into the busy Kamakura streets.

Thrown off by the scarf tripping him, Bando hit his head on the concrete, a slur of cussing escaping his mouth; not only was he now pissed the hell off, he had lost his shot.

"**God fucking DAMNIT!**" Scrambling to his feet, the hunter fumes, digging into his jacket and retrieving a replacement pistol.

"**YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST PLAY GAMES WITH ME LIKE THIS?! TCH! THIS IS MORE LIKE IT!**" A wild expression grows on his face, that of a killer stalking his prey. It was all or nothing at this point, and Bando was going to bring home the beef today, whether the Doctor and Lucy liked it. Without any hesitation, he pushes forward in pursuit.

The beast's eyes flicker around, breathing heavily as they fled through the streets, "We need to get out of sight," Lucy panics to herself, eventually finding herself running ahead of the Doctor, "never thought—that scarf—would save our tail!"

Behind them, a now even angrier Bando picks up his pace, practically blinded with anger, and not worrying about running around in public with a weapon in his hand, plain as day.

"**RUN, RABBIT! RUN!**"

The Doctor quickly wrapped the scarf around his neck, and pocketed the gun. "We have to cut through the alleyways. Head him off, and weave our way until we lose him. That should give us enough time to get back to the TARDIS!"

He was panting as he ran. "I think we've put enough distance between us and-" He turned around, and saw Bando had another gun on him!

He was getting ready to shoot!

Widening his eyes, he shouted to the crowd as he ran. "Everyone get down! There's a man with a gun!"

Three shots were fired and rang through the busy streets. People screamed and scrambled to get out of the way.

"**I SAID GET DOWN!"** The Doctor shouted, keeping his head down.

Firearms were not a common sight in Kamakura, unless they were being carried by police officers. Even so, their use had only been frequent in the past year or two, and so, it was still an unfamiliar thing to see for many of the citizen. And so, when the furious hunter was waving it around freely, not caring about catching an innocent person in the middle of his fire, people began to panic.

_"__H-he's got a gun! HE'S GOT A GUN!"_

Mothers cradled their children to their sides and fled the area, business men ducked and headed into stores and restaurants. Students that were in the town on an outing froze and stared for but a moment before being wrangled by their teachers.

As somebody who was used to getting shot at, Lucy made sure that two vectors made a presence, shielding both the Doctor and herself.

Bando was _not_letting up, however. No matter how fast his prey moved, he adapted and moved even faster, determined to get them by the neck. Pushing people aside, his eyes never left those locks of pink. Somebody had already been clipped by a stray bullet, and he was not going to be apologizing any time soon.

The ruckus had caught the attention of Kamakura's police; cars were already being dispatched to the area with great speed once they heard that a chase had been in action. Sirens flooded the streets.

This made Lucy even more on edge. If they saw that she was involved, this would get sour quickly.

The Doctor yanked Lucy as he made a sharp right turn. "Through here, Lucy! **Quick!**" The duo sped through a group of shopping stands before heading into an alley way. There was one problem, however.

The alley was a dead end.

The Doctor flicked his head in all directions, trying to find _some_ sort of advantage they could use in escaping Bando.

He was closing in on them, and quickly. They had to find a way out, or more people were going to get hurt, or possibly killed.

'_P___olice dispatched to the downtown Kamakura area, reports of a public shooting have been confirmed, subject is in pursuit of two civilians—one foreigner and one of native descent. The gunner appears to be hostile, proceed with caution.___'_

The authorities were also beginning to close in, causing Bando move faster—faster—faster.

There were multiple walls preventing their escape. No fences, nor any crevaces. However, he thought of something.

"We've got to try and gain the high ground on Bando." He thought out loud. "Lucy, can you use your vectors to scale one of these buildings?"

The Time Lord did not have to ask twice. Immediately, Lucy nodded.

"Yeah—let me just..." two vectors reach out and grab onto the Doctor, the other grappling into the side of the building, "Alright! _HOLD ON TIGHT!_"

With an incredible push of energy, Lucy began to climb the office building without any sort of hesitation, not even looking behind her. Adrenaline pushed through her form, causing her movements to be even more sufficient.

The Doctor was taken by surprise by the sudden wave of movement as he was levitated off of the ground thanks to Lucy's vectors. As the two scaled the building, he just looked at Lucy.

"Hold on? There's nothing to hold on, too!"

He then looked at his scarf, and then back at Lucy. "Wait a minute! Yes there is!"

In an instant, the Doctor unwrapped the scarf again, and tied a knot on it, making a makeshift lasso. Swinging it as carefully as possible, the Doctor threw the loop onto Lucy's shoulders, who seemed to grasp the idea very quickly, and slid it to her torso, tightening the knot.

The Time Lord gripped the fabric as tight as possible, wrapping it around his wrist so that his grip won't loosen and slip.

"Whatever you do, Lucy..." The Doctor said. "Do _not_ let me fall!"

"I wouldn't even think of it!" Lucy assured that her companion would not fall and perish, not as long as her vectors were present and in use.

It did not take too long for the blood-boiled mercenary to find the alleyway that they had fled to, eyes narrowing behind his sunglasses once he saw that they were now scaling the buildings.

"Looks like this game just got to _the next level_!" Bando speaks in his sinister tone, throwing himself upwards and climbing the building's fire escape.

"He's fast!" The Diclonius gasps quietly, picking up her pace to the best of her ability, making it to the top of the office building.

"_ONE UP FOR BANDO!_" He was only milliseconds behind, scaling the fire escape with incredible ease, chasing them across the building's roof.

Lucy's immediate reaction was to leap to the next structure—in which she did, launching herself and the Doctor right across, landing with her vectors.

Clutching his chest, the Doctor tried to maintain his composure as he was being launched with force from Lucy's vectors. He certainly wasn't used to being held onto by invisible limbs. He cranked his head behind him, and saw that Bando has _already_ made it to the roof!

"How did he get up there so quickly!?" The Doctor asked, in total shock.

He looked around, trying to see what they could do to shake him off. His gaze wondered to the railing of the roof. He snapped his fingers.

"Lucy, I've got an idea!" The Doctor said, pointing to the railing. "Get us onto the side of this building. Bando will have a hard time getting a clear shot on us!"

"I'm on it!" Lucy leaped forward, landing them on the roof's railing, running across it with nearly perfectly balance.

By this point, people crowding the streets were cranking their heads upwards, marveling in the chase's excitement. Many of them had their phones out, recording everything to be posted on the internet. Police officers continued to chase down the streets, using their speakers to boom their voices up to the roof.

"_T__HIS IS THE POLICE! CEASE THE CHASE AND DROP YOUR WEAPON!_"

Bando smolders, grinning like a pig in shit.

"Like hell I will. This is my prize," the hunter spoke, eyes never leaving his two targets. Once he feels enough accuracy, his gun is raised, pulling at the trigger and shooting off a bullet in their direction.

Fortunately for Lucy, the bullet only grazed her arm, but the shock itself was enough for her vectors to retract for a moment.

"AH! Shit—!"

"Lucy-AAAAHHH!"

The Doctor could tell that Lucy caught a bullet to her arm, but it must have let her vector grip loose, because the Doctor fell, and the force pulled Lucy down with him!

Fortunately, Lucy launched her vectors to where it four of them grasped the side of the building, making obvious holes in them.

Thank goodness the Doctor made that scarf lasso, otherwise just that little bullet graze would have spelled the end for the Time Lord. Now, here he was, dangling underneath his companion as she hovered overhead, the vectors providing anchor points.

"Lucy! Grab me again with your vectors!" He shouted. "I'm not quite in the mood to be as flat as a flapjack!"

In a state of panic, Lucy stumbles, nearly falling off of the roof of the building before her vectors reached out and grabbed at its side, dangling there for but a moment. She had to breathe—lest she allow the rush of the moment to overtake her senses. Bando was not going to let up, and so she had to move quickly. Two vectors reached down and once more clamped onto the Doctor before forcing the two of them up and onto the roof; the chase had resumed.

Bando scowls, not pleased with the fact that his bullet was but a stray—shots like that did _not _take down beasts.

"**YOU THINK THAT'S WHAT I GOT? C'MON!**" Faster and faster and FASTER! The hunter seemed to be a bounty of energy, fueled by the very thought of crushing Lucy's skull under his foot, "KILLIN' YA IN FRONT OF YOUR LITTLE NANNY IS GONNA BE FUN!"

At no point were the police going to let up. Cars continued to rush after the three individuals leaping from roof to roof. Sirens flooded the streets—not a single person in all of Kamakura's downtown would be able to drown out the sounds of the chase. All eyes were on the diclonius, the Time Lord, and the mercenary. All ears were open to them as well.

…A_ll_ eyes. _All_ ears.

* * *

A man in a suit watched the chase unfold through a news story on television. As he saw Lucy running along with the scarved man, he smiled to himself. Taking out his phone, he dialed a number and put it to his ear.

It rang on the other side.

"_Kamakura Police Department."_ The opposite end answered.

"Get me Captain Tanaka."

Silence on the line, and then another line picked up.

"_Captain Tanaka speaking."_

"Hello, Captain. This is Director Kakuzawa."

* * *

The Doctor and Lucy had now hopped across four rooftops now, and Bando was still in hot pursuit of them. He was _obviously _augmented, somehow. No normal human could leap across rooftops and scale buildings like that.

This needed to end. _Now_. The only question was how?

As the Doctor thought of a million possible scenarios as to stop Bando, his eyes widened.

"Lucy, stop!" The Doctor shouted. "Stop and find a hiding spot! I've got another idea!"

Despite the cruel loss that he had suffered against Lucy during his first two encounters, the hunter could consider those moments blessings in disguise; suffering the loss of his eyes and arms, he had been gifted with augmented, advanced body parts. His eyes could function similar to the lens of a camera, giving him incredible sight. The arms, able to crush practically anything in his grasp. Due to already being well-trained and fit, it was only a matter of receiving the faux-limbs in order to turn him into a **monster** of a soldier.

"Hide?"Lucy was far more than shocked to hear that—what was this man up to now?! The Doctor could not handle Bando on his own—could he? Then again, not once had the Time Lord ever let Lucy down. "I-"

"Lucy, trust me!" The Doctor said. "I'm going to see what I can do against Bando." His head whipped around, facing the Diclonius. "What are you waiting for? Go!"

With hesitation, Lucy whips her head side to side before leaping off of the building, landing them nearby a connecting bridge between downtown Kamakura and Enoshima Island. Rolling off to the side, she leapt downwards, slipping away and hiding out among the cluster of buildings nearby.

Bando scowled, unamused, landing on his feet and shooting the Time Lord a nasty look.

"You're about as fucking obnoxious as that **other** horned bitch." he spits, cracking his neck on both sides, "Don't tell me you're friends with this urchin—if I gotta terminate ya' before I can tussle with the queen bee, _guess I got no choice_."

The Doctor looked at Bando with a gaze that many of his enemies were familiar was not the type of person that would be intimidated so man would prove to be no different than the barbaric Daleks he had faced beforehand.

"That 'urchin', as you call her, is one of the most wonderful creatures I've ever laid my eyes on.I can only assume you're here to kill her for the other killings she has committed."He shook his head."I'm not about to let you ruin all of the improvements I've helped her to make."

The Doctor then reached into his pocket, and pulled out the Desert Eagle, pointing it at Bando. "If you think that I am merely a pushover, that I will let you beat me into submission because you can flex your muscles like a dumb ape, then you, Bando…"The Time Lord's eyes squinted at his opponent."…are _gravely_ mistaken."

**T**he mercenary did not enjoy being treated as if he was lower on the tier just because he was not the most 'book smart' person available; he had already been thrown off by the Time Lord earlier in this conflict, and he was not about to allow it again. When his own Desert Eagle was held in the man's hand, Bando bites at the inside of his cheek in frustration, listening to his opponents bantering.

And then, a laugh.

"So this is how it's gonna be?" Bando's chortle grows, his arms being thrown up, "You won't shoot me with that. You don't have the spine to do it. You woulda shot me already if ya could! Let's handle this like men," he speaks lowly, dropping his own weapon to the ground.

"One on one. I'll beat you to a pulp with my own damn hands."

The Doctor couldn't help but chuckle. It had been a while since he had fought hand to hand. That was a common event during his third incarnation, with his Venusian Akido knowledge. _Some_ of that knowledge was lost when he had regenerated, but he was still one to stand toe to toe in a fist fight, especially so during the fight with Goth on Gallifrey in the Matrix.

"You're right, Bando." He said. "I never liked the idea of guns anyway." He then ejected the magazine, and slid the chamber open, ejecting the bullet. The Doctor went on to disassemble the gun before it was just a pile of parts and springs, before tossing them over the building.

Bando looked at where the Doctor threw the gun parts, and back at him with an annoyed, angry look. "That was my favorite gun, you son of a bitch!"

"Oh come now. You can get another one." The Doctor said, before forming a fighting stance. "I think I ought to warn you, I'm rather quick on my feet. But I'm a generous fellow." He flashed a toothy grin.

"I'll let you have the first shot, Bando."

Sweat had already been forming on the bounty hunter's brow, the anticipation of utterly destroying this—this—**disgusting** savior of monsters. To think that anybody would ever want to give mercy to a beast that murdered innocent people—the creature that took his arm—the bitch that blinded him.

How Bando would relish in this.

"Generous my ass, I already saw that when you were keepin' that horned bitch safe." Bando sneered, anticipation in his eyes as his knuckles cracked.

"C'MON!" He shouted, going in with a sharp punch to the Doctor's jaw, aiming to knock him from his balance. If that did not work out and he was blocked, Bando would have to regroup.

Quick as a cat, the Doctor narrowly avoided the punch, ducking down and swooping just behind Bando. He glanced at Bando's legs. One of his legs was completely extended to help bring strength to the punch. The Time Lord delieved a swift side kick to the back side of Bando's knee, knocking him down to one leg.

The Doctor backpeddled to a concrete doorway leading to the maintenance floor from the roof. Bando seemed to have a one track mind when it came to attacking. He'd need to dodge his next punch so that he could break his hand on the concrete.

"Come now, Bando." The Time Lord taunted. "Is that the best you've got?"

The strike on his leg did not come as a surprise to the hunter; attempting to catch him off guard? Not likely. But if there was one thing that was true about Bando, it was that his patience was his worst enemy. The sound of sirens wailing in the background only broke his concentration further. Falling to the ground due to his balance being disrupted, the vicious man, rolled in order to get back to his feet.

"Tch, shut the hell up! I can't stand listening to you!" He screams, his foot aiming to kick straight into the Doctor's stomach.

Luckily, the distance proved to be a great telegraph to Bando's kick. The Doctor was able to duck again, and shove Bando's kicking leg to the side. Balling his fist, the Time Lord aimed a well timed punch to Bando's kidney.

"**UUHFFF!"**

The shot brought the hunter down to one knee again, with the Doctor enveloping his arms on Bando's neck, putting a headlock on him. However, Bando's rage only built further. He was far too close to achieving his revenge on that monstrosity that took his eyes and limbs away from him. This man would not steal that moment's glory!

Prosthetic hands gripped harshly at the Doctor's arms, the pressure incredibly strong due to being robotic in nature, just forceful enough to break the headlock.

As the two men duked it out, Lucy had done just as she was told: wait and lurk without drawing any sort of attention. Though, that was beginning to become difficult, as she could hear the police sirens blasting louder and louder as they grew closer.

"I have to get rid of them." the Diclonius whispered harshly to herself, "but how...?"

This was normally where her vectors would crash down mercilessly, but now, she had to think fast, and craft...

A hand reached for the scarf around her neck, and an idea came to mind...

Bando broke free of the choke hold, as he elbowed the Doctor's midsection to shake him off. Coughing a bit, the Doctor tried to stabilize himself.

"You're good, Bando." He said. "But you're still one track minded. Thankfully, your weakness is not your technique."

Bando growled and let loose a flurry of punches, the Doctor dodging each one. However, as he was backed up into the maintenance entrance, a very unpleasent surprise awaited him.

The Bounty Hunter, with a loud scream, put all his power into one punch, and aimed at the Time Lord's head.

The Doctor shifted to the side, but didn't expect Bando to punch straight through the concrete!

The Time Lord did a double take, his eyes widened in horror and shock. That was no strength of a mere human. His shock was well warranted, as it dawned on him. With his mouth agape, and eyes wide as saucers, he voiced the reason of Bando's skill and power.

"**Cybernetic augmentations!?"**

Bando cusses under his breath; had that punch been any harder, it could have ruined his cybernetic hand.

"Both hands and both god damn eyes! See what that bitch did to me?! T' think you're gonna just keep me from getting back at her is fucking insane!" the bounty hunter spits, his fist crashing right into the Doctor's stomach the moment that the shock had given him some leeway.

"You keep hidin' her from me, and you're gonna see everybody on this god damn planet **KILLED! **Is that what you want? Maybe you're just as vicious as her? Huh? _Is that it!?_"

The Doctor fell to his knees, gripping his stomach, as Bando grabbed his hair and threw him against the wall.

"**AUUGGH!"**

Bando wound his arm up again for another shot at the Doctor's head, but he ducked in time, and rolled out of the way to get some distance.

So, Bando was augmented, and Lucy was the one that did this to him. No wonder Lucy was frightened of him. This man was _ruthless_. He had to incapacitate him somehow.

But how...? Fighting him was like fighting a Cyberman! He had to find a way to disable his augmentations, somehow...

Yet, as he tried to formulate a plan, the Doctor's anger was starting to show, as Bando had kept insinuating that Lucy was still a monster. Ironic, as Bando _relished_ in dishing out pain.

"You..." He began, trying to catch his breath. "You don't know Lucy as well as I do. And yet you're one to talk! You keep claiming that Lucy is a monster, and yet you opened fire in a crowed of innocents! The very hypocrisy coming from you is _staggering!_"

He then laughed. "She hurt you, now you're going to hurt her back. Vengeance gets you nowhere, Bando. All your conflict will leave is a lot of collateral damage, and innocent people injured, or even _killed._ Not by Lucy, but by _you._"

The Time Lord then stood up, brushing his coat off. "You are not going anywhere near my friend." He then braced himself for Bando's next attack. "If that means I have to take you out, then so be it. No one hurts my friends!"

The Doctor stared daggers at the bounty hunter.

"Not even dumb apes like you!"

A man who makes himself familiar and comfortable with monsters, how fitting of something from another planet.

Bando was one to talk—he flourished when bathed in violence, but in his state of mind, it was completely different—all of this was absolutely different. And as he was beaten and bloodied by this scarved man, he continued to boil.

"She's got you whipped," the hunter hisses in pain, lifting his head as he heard the authorities coming closer; police cars had swarmed near the boardwalk where Lucy was hiding beneath, officers getting out and pointing their guns.

"HNH... they're gonna open fire at her, and she's gonna kill 'em the moment they try..." Bando snarled as he grabbed at the Time Lord, twisting his arm and forcing him to watch.

* * *

Lucy stood there, watching as the policemen raised their weapons, aiming and preparing; the last time this happened, she had lost a horn and nearly lost her life.

"COME OUT! YOU'RE SURROUNDED!"

But rather than attacking, her plan was far different...

Ripping the scarf off of her neck, she used her vectors to stretch it out, tripping all of the men and dashing forward, staring ahead at the fight going on between the Doctor and Bando.

"Hang in there," she speaks hurriedly.

* * *

The Doctor flashed a proud toothy grin, still trying to make due to the pain Bando was putting on his arm. His forceful watch proved to be ineffective.

"Sorry to say, but you were wrong." He said to the bounty hunter. "Normally, she _would_ have killed them. But who do you think taught her that there was another way?" The Time Lord laughed in triumph, before turning his attention to Lucy.

"Lucy!" He shouted. "Get out of there! More police are going to swarm this block!"

Leaving the Time Lord alone with Bando was not going to be productive, and no matter where she ran, the police would chase—there was nowhere to go, nowhere to hide.

They HAD to get to the TARDIS. And if she could reach the Doctor quickly enough, they could escape the scene and leave to safety, despite the noise and chaos that had been brewing due to her appearance.

Bando stammered in surprise, the shock showing on his face. This was the beast that had nearly killed him... and not a single vector was raised!

"Wha... H-How? How!?"

Lucy scaled towards where the Doctor and the bandit were fighting, and with her vectors, she grabbed Bando and moved him out of the way.

"Doctor, we need to get out of here quickly. We have no choice, we need to get to the TARDIS!"

"Yes, but Bando made so much of a racket that I don't know if we'll even be _able_ to reach the Old Girl." The Doctor said, going over to one end of the rooftop. He scanned over the area, trying to gauge where the TARDIS could be, and where the police tailed them during the chase.

"The police have been chasing us for the past four blocks." He explained. "They're going to try to contain us and surround this whole block. We're going to have to move fast if we want to reach the TARDIS."

As the Doctor formulated his plan, Bando was struggling to get to his feet, and he saw his prize. Lucy was unaware, listening to the Doctor. Now was his chance!

"You're mine now, you horned bitch!" He screamed. Bando charged forward, and brought his arm back, ready to slug the Diclonius right in the head.

The Doctor turned around, and eyes widened in alert.

"Lucy! Watch out!"

He shoved his companion out of the way, but the punch that was meant for Lucy connected with the Time Lord.

"**AAAGH!"**

The Doctor screamed in pain, as the force of the blow brought him straight down into the concrete, face first.

"**DOCTOR!" **Lucy lashed a vector out to help the Time Lord to his feet, turning her head and gritting her teeth firmly in the direction of the bounty hunter.

That was a familiar expression.

But rather than a rain of death falling upon Bando, a vector lashed out to prevent him from attacking once more—and while the temptation of her voice appeared to be quieted, the struggle was still there.

And those damned sirens were growing LOUDER!

The Diclonius had no choice; she dropped Bando, allowing the Doctor to deal with him as she unfolded a plan to prevent the police from getting too close.

Lucy turned back to Bando, with a glare.

"I'm coming back for you..." She said in a threatening voice, before jumping back down to street level.

As soon as the grip was removed, the bounty hunter growled, lashing out to try a land a savage blow where it SHOULD have gone on his opponent.

"What a CHEAP trick!"

The moment Lucy dropped the Doctor, he still dropped back down in a limp. The force of Bando's punch knocked more than some sense into the Time Lord, but he _had_ to get up, lest he be a chew toy for the hunter.

The Doctor tried to struggled to his feet, pushing himself onto his hands and knees, but fell back down again, his eyes still wide with shock from the pain in his head.

He turned, and tried to crawl to the edge of the building, using the elevation to climb and rise to his feet. With a bit of assistance, he leaned against the edge, and gripped his head.

The Doctor had to bring Bando down, somehow. He had to, or he would no doubt put his and Lucy's head on a pike.

Lucy herself had a problem—her vectors could only block so many bullets, and if those officers started to attack, then it was all over. Watching as they swarmed, the beast's breath picks up, heartbeat fluttering in anxiety. What to do.

She acts on impulse; as they move from their vehicles, she releases her vectors, pushing them back and preventing them from moving forward before ripping the scarf off of her neck. The diclonius repeats her trick from earlier, using those phantom limbs to stretch the fabric and trip those in pursuit.

As for Bando—he was not satisfied. He was growing tired of this fight, watching as the Time Lord struggled.

"Tch, is this it?" He begins to move forward. "Is this what you have to show me, Doc?"

With a great amount of strength, all of the weight of his boot met the gut of the Doctor; Bando watched him crumble to the ground before pressing his boot firmly into the back of his head with a sneering grin. He lights a cigarette, bringing it to his lips to take a drag before speaking up.

"One nice hit to the head and you're out like a light. How pathetic." Bando taunted, before shoving his boot to the Doctor's head. He grabbed his coat and lifted him up with one arm, putting the cigarette in his mouth before grabbing his collar with the other hand.

"If I still had my fucking gun, I'd have taken you out already." Bando continued. "Cause this is just embarrassing as shit. All that big talk and NOTHIN'!" The hunter delivered a strong knee to the Doctor's gut, before throwing him against the edge again.

"Heh, maybe they'll take you in with that horned bitch and knock you around even more!" Bando slapped the Doctor across the face, before delivering another backhand across the other cheek.

"I bet she hasn't even told you a thing about where she came from! REAL nice place...They'd wipe that stupid fucking grin off your face and choke ya with the scarf while they're at it." Bando grabbed the Doctor's curly hair and threw him to the ground again. "C'moooonnn… GET UP ALREADY!"

Bando bent down again to land another strike on the Doctor. Just before his fist met the Doctor's face, the opposite happened.

Acting on instinct, the Doctor slugged Bando with a haymaker of his own, knocking the cigarette out of Bando's mouth. One shot to the temple, and another to the nose, and a headbutt for good measure.

The Doctor then rose up, keeping the distance close between him and Bando. The hunter was staggering, but the Time Lord refused to let up. He let punch after punch let loose at Bando's gut, before launching a right cross at Bando's head. Then another left strike.

Bando was reeling. He shook his head, preparing to take the defensive. "Oh, you're dead now, you son of a-"

The Doctor shut the hunter up with a running punch to the temple, sending Bando staggering and teetering. He still did not fall, however.

The Time Lord grabbed Bando's head, spinning him to gain momentum, and threw him against the concrete edge. Diving toward him, he grabbed Bando's neck.

Their eyes met. Bando saw nothing but rage in the Doctor's eyes. Whatever seemed to be the man that was obfuscating stupidity was gone now, and what remained was a beast that had been unleashed.

One thing was for certain. It was not in the best interest of sentient beings to make a Time Lord angry.

"Look at these eyes, you pitiful human." He said in a low growl. "Do they seem weak to you? Do they?"

The Doctor landed another punch at Bando's face.

"I don't know what you want from Lucy. At this point, I don't care now. I'm not going to let you harm her, or anyone else, for that matter. You are a pathetic worm, Bando. A vile and cruel beast."

He then reached into his pocket, and drew his Sonic Screwdriver.

"Just looking at your eyes, I can easily tell how they work. Unfortunate for you, I have a vast knowledge of cybernetics."

With a toothy grin, he rose the emitter against Bando's eyes.

"Keep your eye on the birdy, Bando." He said. "This won't hurt a bit..."

The Doctor pulled down the switch, and the Sonic emitted his frequency...

"What the hell are you-"

Within a moment, Bando's optic implants shut down. Once again, he was in complete darkness.

"AAAGGHH! MY EYES!"

With a scream like a gutted swine, Bando reaches to grab at his eyes—unable to see a thing with those cybernetic modifications.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO ME, YOU CURLY HAIRED BASTARD!?"

Hands reached out and lashed, attempting to grab whatever was closest to him. A panic rushes through his chest as the weight of the moment hits him.

His eyes had been disabled.

All the while—the bounty hunter is transported back a year ago, when he was laying like this, pinned to the ground at the beach that stormy evening.

* * *

"…_**Do you enjoy this?"**_

The beast that had clawed his eyes out with her vectors, blood pouring out of the now empty sockets.

"_**Fun's over."**_

* * *

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Bando shrieked. "I'LL KILL THE BOTH OF YOU!"

Lucy had managed to keep the police at bay; using her vectors to enhance the physical strength of her arms, she fought them off with sharp punches, rather than lashing out and maiming them per the diclonius way. There were so many—and she could only keep them off of their backs for a limited amount of time.

"This is squad 103!" One of the officers said into their radio. "We need back up right now! The girl is hurling my men away with what looks like a scarf, that's _floating!_ My men are being tossed around like ragdolls! You gotta send more officers down here _now!_"

"Get away!" Lucy demanded, huffing under her breath as she grew exhausting from fighting all of them off.

She had a horrible feeling in her gut.

The two of them had to get out and get out now.

"Can't see much now, can you, Bando?" The Doctor said, cheekily, watching Bando punch the air angrily.

"Why can't I see anything!?" The hunter continued to shout. "What's going on!?"

"What's going on is that I simply shut down your ocular implants." The Doctor explained. "You see, your implants transmit a signal to your optic nerve that mimics the same way real eyes transmit light through rods and cones. Though, your implants are pretty primitive compared to the ones I've seen. Simply put, I emitted an EMP from my Sonic Screwdriver into your cybernetic rods and cones, giving you the inability to transmit images to your optic nerve, and to your brain."

He flashed a toothy grin. "In other words, Bando... You're completely blind."

The battle below had heated up into a stalemate, as two more officers had been launched into the windshield of a police car. The men had drawn their guns as Lucy was backed up next to a car. She had to move, or else they'd stick her in the back of that vehicle, waiting only for the Doctor to join her.

"Keep your guns trained on her!" The captain said. "Safeties off! Deadly force is authorized!"

"That's enough out of you, Miss!" One of the officers said to Lucy. "You're completely surrounded, now! Stand down and get on your knees with your hands in the air! We _will_ open fire if you don't comply!"

"We don't want to hurt you!" Another said. "But you're starting to give us no choice! Surrender or we _will_ be forced to shoot!"

"Nobody is going to be shooting…"

Oh how the Instinct growled and clawed at the depths, wanting to take control and devour all of these men that dared to attack her. No—Lucy needed control for this, as tempting as it was to give in—she made a promise.

She was not going to kill.

She couldn't. Not after everything that the Time Lord had done for her absolution and salvation.

In a last ditch attempt to startle and scare them off, Lucy grits her teeth, pushing all of the strength of her vectors into her right fist, CRASHING it into the ground near one of the police cars—

"What the hell was that?!" One of the officers cries out.

"Move back! She's hostile!"

The strength of the punch was staggering, sending many of the officers backwards, cracking the ground.

"WE HAVE TO GO!" Lucy calls out as loud as she can, hoping that the Time Lord would hear her.

"WE HAVE TO GO! NOW!"

* * *

Bando could hear the shouting and screaming, the sounds of the sirens and the officers scrambling to keep control of the situation—all topped off by the gloating of a man that had defeated him.

"This isn't the last time you're gonna see me..." the hunter growls under his panicked breath.

"This isn't over, ya hear?! Whether it's next week or a decade from now, I'll get you back for this! I'll get you both back!"

As Bando continued to shout, the Doctor sauntered behind the hunter, finding a perfect time to shut him up.

"I'm going to make sure you and that horned bitch pay for what you've done to me!"

The Doctor scooted a bit closer behind, winding his hand up across his chest.

"I'm gonna kill you-"

With as much force as he could muster, the Doctor channeled his strength into a single, strong knife edge chop across the back of Bando's neck, plummeting the hulking figure to the concrete.

"Sorry, Bando." The Time Lord said. "I'm afraid I have to cut this short. In fact..." He then lifted his Screwdriver back up and aimed at his arms. "I can't let you have these arms be your weapons for now."

The Doctor switched on the device, and within a moment, he disabled one cybernetic arm, before moving on to the other.

He then dragged the unconscious Bando to one of the railings on the edge of the building, and after withdrawing his Screwdriver, drew out a pair of handcuffs. He knew Bando would break out of them when he regained control of his arms, but this would buy him a bit of time to escape back to the TARDIS.

Fastening the cuffs, he bound Bando to the railings, as he started to stir. Stunned and disorientated, he looked at the Doctor with a glare.

"You..." He groaned. "You're sadistic as she is."

"No, Bando." The Doctor replied. "I'm not. What she did to you back then was torture. Something that she _used_ to do. I spared your life."

"And left me lame and blind." Bando said. "What the hell do you call that?"

"A calculated strike, my friend." Explained the Doctor. "Pinpointing your weaknesses and exploiting them. I may not be a hulking powerhouse as you, but I have higher intellect. It would be wise if you don't underestimate your next opponent who shares that quality."

Bando growled. "Cocky bastard..."

The Doctor flashed a toothy grin. "Cheer up, though, Bando!" He cheerfully said. "Your disabled eyes and arms are only temporary. The effect will last about an hour, and you will have your vision and strength back." He patted his shoulder. "I'll need to leave you here, though. I can't have you following me and Lucy. But don't worry! Everything's going to be alright!"

With that, the Doctor ran away from Bando, making for a nearby fire escape. As he climbed down the steel steps and slid down the ladder leading to the ground in an ally, the Time Lord was able to find Lucy, keeping the police at bay.

"Lucy!" He called out, waving to his companion. "Come on! Let's go!"

As quickly as she could, Lucy raced after the Time Lord—the police officers had been shaken off for the time being, but she was sure that there would be more. She noticed a lack of Bando chasing him down with snarling, bared teeth; Lucy could only assume that the bounty hunter had been 'dealt with' for the time being.

"We have to get them off of our trail," Lucy speaks in haste, "—if we move through the city and towards the hills, we can lose them in the shrines—whatever it takes, we must disappear—disappear and disappear quickly."

The tone in her voice, it was that of prey; a beast such as herself had never spoken in this manner before. Normally, she would have struck back without any mercy, asserting dominance as the higher species.

Now? In exchange for peace, she had to run, instead of hunt.

Lucy was truly scared.

"I didn't want any of this to happen," Lucy spoke as she caught her breath, a hand gripping her chest in frustration, "We cannot go anywhere close to the Maple Inn. It will only put the others in danger."

For there was another diclonius fresh for capture.

"We get to the TARDIS and leave… I do not care where we go, as long as it is away from here."

Was that a stressful tear falling down the horned one's cheek?

Who knew such a thing could cry?

There was a plethora of things that Lucy could say at the moment, but instead, she gestures to continue running.

This could not be the end of it, it would be too easy. A police chase? That was a joke—the most high profile, dangerous being to ever walk Japan's streets was lose and attempting to vanish for good. There were greater, more devious things coming…

* * *

"Are you insane?! Calling off the Kamakura police isn't going to happen!" The police chief barked into the phone, an older man on the other line giving strict orders.

The Kamakura Police Station had been ablaze with activity since the initial sighting of the horned menace. Nobody wanted this thing running wild—and everybody wanted it dead, or at least detained. Angry and on edge, the chief had received a call from an anonymous number ordering for the chase to cease; it was unheard of! Who would dream of such a thing?!

"_We are dealing with my property, and I will handle it my way. Call off your men. I will handle things from here. You are sending pigs to the slaughter with what you are doing right now. The only thing that can deal with Lucy—is one of her own."_

"What the hell are you talking about-"

"_Call off your men. I have the absolute solution."_

* * *

"Here!" The Doctor pointed as they ran. "Through the alleyways!"

The pair darted into an empty ally, as they hid behind a dumpster, the Police darting in, guns drawn.

"Come out!" One said. "We promise we won't hurt you! Just give yourselves up right now!"

There was no response.

"Damn! I think they gave us the slip..."

"Spread out and find them! We need to bring them in immediately!"

Two groups of officers split up, as one group charged through the alleyway, fanning out their search. As the coast was clear, the Doctor peaked and saw a few options.

They could either head for the TARDIS directly, but use the silent approach, or head into the hills and wait until nightfall when the search gets called off.

As he was making his plan, he heard Lucy sniffling. He looked over and saw that she was doing her best to hold her tears in.

"Lucy." He said, grabbing her shoulders. "Lucy, look at me!"

His companion looked at him with scared, tear stained eyes. They locked gazes, and the Time Lord's voice turned serious.

"I promise you, we're going to get out of here in one piece. I know of a few routes that we can use to get to the TARDIS, but we have to be as silent as we can. In order to do that, I need you to be strong for me. You've got to keep your head clear so that you can use your vectors should we need to put some great distance between us and them."

The Doctor's hands then grabbed the sides of her head, stroking the pink locks of her hair. "Can you do that for me, Lucy? Can you hold on just a bit longer? I promise you that I'll keep you safe. Just hold on, alright?"

"That is all I know how to do, friend… Holding on for as long as I can, I've had to endure much worse," she practically whispers, the tears still staining her face.

"But for once, I'm not afraid for myself… I am afraid of what may happen to you…"

Hands reached up and gripped at the beast's face, shaken to the core; something was twisting in her gut. She did not enjoy this dark feeling within—as if something absolutely horrible was going to happen if she was unable to keep her friend safe.

Lucy was unable to save Aiko's life—

What if she failed again?

"I'm so tired of people being hurt because of me. I have to be as strong and as quick as possible—I'm feeling—emotional about another individual, I have never felt like this before, and it's terrifying… I've never… Been scared over a family member… It's a wonderful and scary feeling all at once. Please promise you will be alright?"

The words coming from Lucy's mouth was not of the genocidal monster that the world had come to know, nor the whimpering babe known as Nyu—

It was the voice of a child that had lost her innocence… The Kaede that was thought to have been lost forever. A voice of selflessness.

"Please promise you'll be safe even if I end up not being so."

* * *

"One of your own detectives has alerted me that Lucy is with another has gone on record saying that he, too, is not human. I want you to call your men off of him, too."

Kakuzawa continued on the phone, drumming his fingers against the back of it as he listened to the flustered police chief.

_"Why would one of my detectives tell you that?"_ The Captain asked _"Everything goes through to me first! What are you gonna do if I don't call my men off? These guys need to be brought in!"_

"I will know if you fail to comply. Have them retreat within the next twenty minutes."

He hung up unceremoniously, turning around in his office to continue a conversation with somebody else in the room.

A lone facility worker stands at attention, carrying a single key in his hands.

"Director."

"What's her status?" Kakuzawa asked.

"...She's ready. The helicopter is prepared, as is the armored vehicle awaiting for us on the mainland."

The elder man gives a wicked smile, completely satisfied with how everything was happening.

"Not only will we get our queen back, but a special specimen for our research as well…" Kakuzawa stuffed his phone into his blazer pocket, heading towards the door,. "Rejoice, friend. All isn't lost. We've won after all."

The worker gives a nervous smile, awkward laughing following suit as he followed.

Upon reaching the helipad where their transportation awaited, Kakuzawa climbed into the back of the helicopter, stepping forward to a petite figure, bound in restraints, face covered—unable to move. She laid upon what appeared to be a steel board, something strong enough to hold back her horrifying strength.

"Are you ready to go… Mariko?"

* * *

The Doctor held Lucy close to him as she cried in fear. Whatever trace of that monster that made her do the things she did was long gone, and what remained was a scared child, nothing more. The Time Lord couldn't imagine her fear right now, as he was used to being hunted like this on a constant basis.

Whether it were Daleks, Cybermen, and Sontarans, the Doctor knew too well the feeling of becoming the prey.

He pulled apart from Lucy and looked her in the eye. "I promise you that I'll be safe, too. Like I said, we're getting back to the TARDIS in one piece. We'll _both_ be safe, Lucy. Trust me."

Lucy nodded and sighed, as she composed herself.

"Here." The Doctor said, gently lifting his scarf off of her neck. "Let me take this back."

He then coiled the fabric around his neck, tightening it just a bit to make it secure.

"You ready to move, Lucy?" He asked

Lucy nodded. "Yes." She said, quietly. "Let's get back to the TARDIS before they find us."

The Doctor peaked out of the dumpster's side and checked the area. It was still clear. They had a good window of opportunity.

"Looks like they're checking the last few blocks..." He pointed straight ahead. "There. That should lead us away from their perimeter sweep." The Doctor picked himself up and grabbed Lucy's hand.

"Come on."

She had to pull herself together—now was not the time to fall apart, that could be saved for later, when the two of them were in a safe and secure place. But the burden on Lucy's shoulders never felt so heavy before in her life.

How much it hurt to actually feel for another living being.

It was like she finally had– a parent.

Yet at the same time? This pain made her feel alive.

Lucy's eyes followed to where the Doctor pointed through the quieter streets on the outskirts of Kamakura. It appeared that the police's monitors were only picking up the busier sections. Did they assume that the two of them would be reckless in their escape?

…Something did not feel right.

But for now, Lucy would push it out of her head, nodding firmly and rushing forward with the Time Lord in tow.

They moved through the alleyways and streets, running as fast as they could—occasionally, Lucy would look back, making sure that the Doctor was keeping up with her. Luckily, he managed to do so, and so their speed remained steady.

Eventually, they had to stop for a train to pass through; the diclonius watched as the guard rail dropped down, listening to the monotonous 'ding' of the alarm.

They were almost safe home—they had just had to get past this intersection and RUN as FAST as they could.

The Doctor kept a close watch behind them, so as to make sure there were no pursuers as they waited for the train to pass by.

However, just as his gut feeling with Bando tailing them, that same feeling still plagued him.

As the train's guard rail rose up, the Doctor turned around and pulled Lucy along with him. The were able to find a quieter street for them to blend into. It was a little farther from the TARDIS, but if they kept it cool, they'd be able to give the police the slip.

* * *

"Squad 260! Secure a perimeter around blocks H through M. Squad 55, I want you to block all alleyways and crosswalks. Make sure that we get these suspects into a bottleneck. We need to choke out any escape routes."

"_Understood!"_ Various voices on the radio acknowledged their superior's orders.

"Keep a close eye on your corners, men." The policeman said. "We don't want them giving us the slip again."

Just as an officer was surveying his 3 o' clock side, he saw two figures zip past them in an alleyway.

"Contact!" He shouted "They're on the left side, one block away from us!"

"Move it! Cut them off at the next corner!"

* * *

"This way, Lucy." The Doctor said. "We should be able to reach the TARDIS quickly if we take this route."

The two rounded a corner, and were then met with a squad of armed officers. They pointed their guns at them.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" One shouted. "PUT YOUR HANDS UP AND GET DOWN ON THE GROUND!"

"Damn it!" The Doctor cursed. "Lucy! Get us out of here!"

Being met face to face with a collective of armed men had become tiring for the beast.

How many times did people have to learn?

she could not be stopped by sheer numbers; even without using her vectors as weapons, they were unbreakable shields.

Lowering herself, two of her vectors grabbed onto the Doctor before Lucy rushed forward, using her vectors to propel herself.

"OPEN FIRE! DO _NOT_ LET THEM GET AWAY!" One of the officers exclaimed,bullets fired at the two inhuman beings without any sort of mercy.

As they rained down, the beast's vectors deflected them—both the Time Lord and the Diclonius rushed through the narrow streets; the free vectors occasionally boosted their speed by pushing off against the walls when they were not occupied as shields.

"I _WON'T_ let them touch us!" Lucy exclaimed with solid intent, bending and weaving, pulling the Time Lord in a protective manner. As long as they kept up speed, they would be home safe!

Perhaps... perhaps they would actually get out of this alive!

"All squads!" The officer said. "We've found the suspects! All cars, rendezvous on our position and engage pursuit! They're moving at an estimated 89 km/h! You'll have to use sirens and speed! Over!"

Within a few moments, police cars swarmed the streets, and pursued the duo as they skirted the streets in what appeared to be flight to the naked eye.

The Doctor looked behind him at the congregation of police. "Will you lot bugger off!?" He shouted. "We're completely innocent! Honest!"

"How the hell are they moving that fast?" Officer Tenoku asked himself, as he drove his squad car to pick up speed.

* * *

The car radio buzzed.

"This is squad 16." He said. "We're pursuing the suspects."

"Tenoku, this is Captain Tanaka."

"Captain?" Tenoku asked.

"I'm recalling all cars back to HQ. Fall back and discontinue your pursuit. Repeat, discontinue pursuit."

Tenoku's brow raised. "Captain!" He said. "With respect, we don't know how dangerous these two are! For all we know, this woman could be-"

"Tenoku, that's an order!" Tanaka shouted. "Listen, rank just got pulled. A third party is taking over and apprehending the suspects. You and the rest are ordered to fall back to HQ. Is that understood?"

Tenoku paused. "...Yes sir." He said.

"Good." Tanaka switched to wide frequency. "All men, this is a direct order. Fall back to HQ and discontinue pursuit of the suspects."

* * *

An armored car remained park in an undisclosed alleyway, a few blocks away from the commotion caused by the two prospective 'acquisitions'. A cell phone rang, as two guards lie in wait for further orders.

One man picked up his phone. "Yes?"

"The police are starting to fall back." It was Director Kakuzawa's voice. "They should be alone in short order. Is Number 35 ready?"

He peered into the small window, and saw their living weapon, waiting patiently for her chance to spill some much needed blood.

Trying to maintain composure, he spoke into the phone. "Yes, Director." He said. "...She's ready."

"Good. Good..." Kakuzawa laughed. "Our Queen shall return home with us shortly. It is now up to you, Hideo."

There was a pause

"Commence Operation: Queen Lord at once."

"Yes, sir."

Hideo hung up the phone, and looked at his guard-mate.

"We've got the green light, Hiroshi." He said. "Operation: Queen Lord is a go."

Hiroshi closed his eyes and sighed. He had to psych himself as he was sure of what was going to happen. He had to prepare for bloodshed. "Understood." Hiroshi responded. "Let's get her prepped..."

* * *

"You said I'm not allowed to kill the big sister and the big man?"

Hiroshi looked down at the bandaged, restrained child that lay waiting; Christ, it was so unnerving. This creature looked no older than ten, but in all reality, she was a perfected clone. Barely a day over one year.

She was created for the sole purpose of recapturing the queen of their species.

"Termination of the subjects is prohibited. The Chief wants us to bring them in alive. Do whatever you must to bring them in, breathing."

Hideo spared a glance over at Hiroshi. It appeared that the two of them were equally nervous around this tiny monster.

"I wanna play with them. I wanna play with them—right now!" Mariko chirped, rocking in her restraints as they were removed.

"Hideo, get the wheelchair!" Hiroshi spoke up—swallowing his saliva thickly.

* * *

Lucy was running out of stamina.

Sprinting away from police officers for the past hour or so, with her vector usage skyrocketing more than usual, her body could only take so much; even a beast of her caliber had limits, especially since she had not been exercising her body since coming across the Time Lord.

She halted in her steps, turning around to face the officers head on. Vectors lashed out, blocking the rest of the bullets as she began an attempt at tripping them—

But abruptly, they eventually stared to back off, one by one.

Had they given up?

A few of them continued to shoot at Lucy until they ran out of ammo, eventually moving away as well.

With an exhausted sigh, the beast slumps forward, vectors pulling away from the Doctor.

"I think… We got rid of them…"

"I'm so excited! I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they think they're going to die. Do you think you can take picture so I can remember it forever and ever?"

For a child to speak so merrily and casually over the chance to kill—it left her two security men sick to their stomachs. But of course, they would not show it in their expressions. Angering this particular silpelit was unwise.

Pushing Mariko in her wheelchair, the three of them arrived at the intersection where the diclonius queen and the Time Lord had been spotted—where the police were ordered to step away. Lucy appeared to be hunched over, guarding the tall male with a good amount of intent.

As soon as they were seen, Mariko used her many vectors to begin rolling herself forward—creeping, creeping, like a child playing hide and seek.

She had plenty of those phantom limbs to spare.

And so, her play date would begin.

Carefully and unnoticed, two of them slipped forward, stretching far enough to hold onto the Doctor's wrist, just as Lucy would have been doing while protecting him.

* * *

The Doctor was shocked, and equally surprised at the turn of events. The police had turned around and quit their pursuit!

He didn't believe it! They got out!

"We did it! We made it, Lucy!"

He and the Diclonius exchanged a celebratory hug as they reaped their victory. Letting go of his embrace, the Doctor stood proud as he and his companion lived to fight another day.

That wonderful sigh of relief erupted from the woman's chest as they were left alone. Their embrace would be a brief one, knowing that the two of them had to keep moving in order to reach safety.

"That was one hairy experience, don't you think?" He laughed. "I was almost certain we'd get caught."

"Yes..." Lucy said, panting. "Me too. I'm just glad we're okay."

The Doctor shook his head. "No matter. Let's get back to the TARDIS. We shouldn't be too far from it now."

"Yes, certainly, let's go."

Just as he started to walk, he felt a resistance holding him down. Lucy must have forgotten her vectors were still wrapped around the Time Lord. She was probably more scared than he thought. Who could blame her, though?

"Lucy," He said, turning to his companion. "Everything's fine. We're okay. You can let your vectors release me now."

Vectors? Lucy had released hers as soon as she heaved over in exhaustion.

And then it hit her—that instinctual ability to feel the presence of her own kind. Due to the immense amount of stress she had been under, Lucy was not able to tap into that. Now—it was buzzing, and it was buzzing rapidly.

"…Doctor."

She starts, slowly rising up, standing stiff in fear as she turned her head.

"Those aren't… My vectors!"

Reddened eyes widen, gasping in morbid horror at the sight that she beheld. As if she were staring at the devil himself.

"Y-YOU! You shouldn't even be alive!"

Mariko's smile widens into one that would normally be seen when a younger sibling greeted an older one. Such joy and happiness can be seen in the child—as if she were out for a day at the amusement park.

But this was not the Mariko that Lucy had fought all those years ago. This was a complete copy, one designed by the Kakuzawa Research Facility to fetch the queen.

"But Lucy...I've been wanting to meet you for so long! Y'know. . . the Chief said that you've been really bad! Running around and killing everybody, and you didn't even invite me along." Mariko quipped. Her eyes trailed over beside Lucy, looking at the Time Lord.

"… You're the one that took big sister."

Lucy took a step backwards, staring at the Doctor.

"DOCTOR! You need to get out of here! NOW!"

Before he had a chance to run, however, he would be subject to a horrible sight—

Twenty five vectors stretched up from the child's back—and they were ginormous.

"I WANNA FRIEND, TOO!"

The Doctor turned, and saw something he did not expect. It was a wheelchair bound child, that had the very same horns that Lucy and Nana possessed.

"Another Diclonius!?"

The Doctor struggled to move. Every ounce of instinct in his body was telling him to run. To bolt for the TARDIS.

But he couldn't. He was stuck.

_The Doctor was trapped!_

"Lucy!" He said, struggling against the invisible iron grip of the vectors. "I-... I can't move!"

He then saw the onslaught before him. _Twenty five_ vectors shot from behind her, _visible_ to his vision, and grabbed the Time Lord en masse.

The Time Lord's eyes widened in horror. It was just like the Instinct! If he didn't move, he was dead for sure!

"Lucy! I can't break free!" He shouted.

They all grabbed him, and lifted him up off of the ground.

"Lucy! Help me! Help- AAAAAGGGGHHH!"

The Vectors started to fly him and yank him everywhere, disorientating the Doctor as he was tumbled, flipped, and yanked about in the air.

"NO!" Lucy shouted.

Mariko then pulled him with great force toward her with her vectors, to where they were face to face.

The Doctor's breathing was ragged, as his eyes were wide as saucers. The fear he felt from facing the Instinct was even more apparent now. Even _he_ knew that a child could very well be a ticking time bomb. But he never once considered such a thing to be a reality.

Just as the Instinct faced him before, the Doctor feared for his life.

The elder of the two beasts lurches forward, vectors flying to try and recapture the Doctor out of Mariko's grasp; alas, Lucy's were not as long as the imp's, leaving her incapable of grabbing him—not before Mariko drags the Time Lord close like a hungry spider.

A toddler's smile.

He was being held captive by a girl that looked no older than five. Ribbons tied to her hair and lacy clothing—as if she had just walked out of a daycare, waiting to be picked up by her parents.

"…Do you wanna play with me, mister?"

Her vectors lifted the Doctor high above the ground.

"Wait!" He pleaded. "W-wait! Stop! Please, don't!"

**CRSSHHH!**

Her vector slammed the Time Lord's body into the concrete, cracking it before she pulls him back up into her ghostly grasp.

"**AAAGGHH!"**

The Doctor screamed in agony from the impact, as his back got the full brunt of it.

"Don't tell me big sis doesn't play with you like this!"

Lucy rushed forward, vectors lashing out at Mariko's tiny body, grabbing her wheelchair. If it were the same formula as it was fighting her LAST time, then this clone wouldn't be any different.

He hoped so.

"Keep your vectors off of him!" Lucy shouted.

She then turned the wheelchair and launched it forwards toward a building, with Hiroshi standing in the way.

"Aaa-AAAHHH!"

"Oh, shit!" Hiroshi freaked as he dove out of the way, when the wheelchair hit the wall. Mariko used her vectors to push herself off, and to speed back around to face the Doctor and Lucy

The elder of the two grabbed onto the Time Lord, rushing away—but not before Mariko's vectors reached out and grabbed as well.

"NOT FAIR! NOT FAIR! NOT FAIR!"

Her more powerful grasp yanks him away once more and out of Lucy's safe hold, flinging the Time Lord into the side of a building.

"GAHH!"

The Doctor then fell to his knees, before falling flat on his face.

Hands grabbing onto the sides of her own head. Lucy was flung to the side as well, but she continued to reach out in desperation– she would not lose this time!

"YOU—CAN'T—HAVE—FRIENDS—IF I CAN'T!"

This was a toddler's hissy fit.

An unstable, and monstrous one.

He was in pain. The Doctor's back and his head were ringing from the immense amount of pain from the impacts. Lucy and the Time Lord were in danger. This was unlike anything he had faced before. As he was able to talk Lucy down from killing anymore people, he had no idea if it would work this time.

Something was different about this particular Diclonius. Different from Lucy in every way. She seemed to have no conscious regarding her actions, and she still was in that child-like state with how she beat down the Doctor.

She was geared for killing, and nothing more. She was _nothing_ like Lucy.

As Lucy tried to keep Mariko's vectors at bay, he reached and grabbed her leg, trying to grab her attention.

"Lucy..." He managed to gasp out. "P-please... get out of here. Get back t-... to the TARDIS. K-9 c-can get you out."

He lifted his head with all the strength he could muster, and turned to face her. "Don't worry about me..." He coughed. "Just get out of here...! Now!"

"I'm _not_ letting you go!" Lucy demands with a scream, bobbing and weaving, moving through the typhoon of vectors clashing with one another.

"I'm not...going to let... ANYMORE PEOPLE DIE... _BECAUSE I COULDN'T... PROTECT THEM!"_

Mariko's vectors were quickly overpowering the diclonius queen, injuries littering her body as she continued to fend off the youthful behemoth that sat before them.

"I'm not...! I won't...!"

As Lucy's words resonated, the silpelit grins, gripping the Time Lord as roughly as possible.

"Hey… Big sis? Will you feel better if you get to play with us too?"

Visible vectors latch onto Lucy, throwing her down against the ground as well, deep into the rubble.

"NNGGGG!" The beast snarls, trying to soften the blow with her vectors, barely making any difference, "I'm not… Going...to give up…"

Blood trickles from her mouth, coughing; despite being bruised and battered, Lucy's own resolve refused to allow her to fall.

"Please, stop!" The Doctor shouted. "Let her go! Please, don't hurt her anymore!"

Mariko looked at the Doctor with a bit of perplexity, before bringing him closer to her. The Doctor's breathing was ragged from both the impacts and the fear he was feeling right now. He was trapped, and there was no way for him to escape. If he didn't come up with a plan, he and Lucy would be dead in just a few minutes.

"Listen to me." He said, trying to keep himself composed. "I'm not here to cause you harm. I'm not going to hurt you, so long as you promise not to hurt me. Please, just hear me out. I just wish to talk to you, alright?"

The grips of the vectors were starting to press down onto his chest. He felt like he was suffocating. Still, the Time Lord kept his breathing under control. He couldn't show fear, as this child had predatory instincts.

He _had_ to stay calm.

"My name's the Doctor." He said to the young Diclonius. "Do you have a name?"

The Time Lord hung in her grasp, dangling like a trapped insect—it was like watching a grandfather clock going back and forth—back and forth—back and forth—Mariko giggles.

Eyes wide with juvenile glee, yet empty of anything else. If one inspected closely, there seemed to be some sort of device jammed into her forehead, blocked by lengthy pink bangs.

"The Doctor? Heheheh! That's a silly name!" Mariko tilts her head endearingly.

"But the director told me not to give my name to any strangers, Mr. Doctor."

As soon as that title was dropped, that dastardly, vindictive title owned by that MAN, Lucy's eyes widened, teeth gritting.

"Hey, Mr. Doctor? If that's your job, I have a great idea!"

With that, vectors drop the Time Lord onto the ground, though she kept the elder diclonius pinned firmly to the ground.

"Let's play doctor together!"

Mariko struggled out of her wheelchair, wobbling for a moment, moving forward with arms out to maintain balance, until she dropped on her knees in front of the two, a most pleasant, warm smile on her face.

"...Excuse me?" The Doctor asked. "What do you mean by-AHH!"

Once more, the man is forced on his back, that smile twisting into a grin.

"I'll be the doctor, and you can be the patient!"

Mariko put a small hand on the Doctor's forehead. "You look really sick! It feels like you have a fever."

One of her vectors slithered out, visible enough for the Doctor to see it.

"Wh-..." The Doctor tried to say, eyes wide as saucers. "What are you going to do-MMPH!"

The tiny hand of the vector covered his mouth.

"I need to… take your temperature, mister! Now,say AH!"

Right at the foot of her final syllable, the limb forced his mouth open, and plunged itself down the Time Lord's throat.

"AHH-Hgh!"

The Doctor could feel something pressing down inside his mouth, and felt as if there was a rush of air down his gullet. But, it felt solid, like something jammed into his throat...

His air passage was blocked! The Doctor was choking!

"Hg-Ghhgh-hghg...!"

The Doctor struggled against the iron grip of the girl's vectors, trying his best to gasp for air. His eyes bulged out of his head, as his skin had started to turn blue from the lack of oxygen. This little girl, no older than a kindergartner, was _torturing _him!

If he could, he'd scream. This was just like the Instinct during his mind delve with Lucy. Except this was _far_ real...

The Time Lord felt something strange inside his body. It felt like... like hands! Grabbing, feeling, prodding his organs...

The vector was invading his body!

A tear started to form from the Doctor's eye as it dropped down the side of his head. He couldn't tell if it was from fear, from being violated, or from the feeling of dying little by little.

Mariko was enjoying herself far too much.

That was the biggest difference between the young silpelit and Lucy. Both of them were of the same species, the same horns, the same vectors—yet, they viewed death in their own way.

Lucy saw it as extermination, ridding the world of a pest that leeched on other life forms. She made it her purpose to do so.

Mariko, much younger in mentality, saw it as playtime, whereas other children would find joy in tag or catch, the youthful beast treated the screams of her victims as just another game.

That phantom limb slithered down the Time Lord's throat, fingers pressing and prodding around. This was not the first time that Mariko had the chance to inspect an individual's physiology. In fact, it was something that she had the joy of performing every once and a while with certain permission from the facility doctors.

"Mister, I think something is wrong with you." Mariko gives a pout, her tone laced with the false sense of worry that children had when playing pretend, "You have two hearts! That's not normal! Do you want me to pull one out?"

Fingers prepare to grip at the organ, as the Doctor widened his eyes. Just before she latched onto one of his hearts, however,Mariko began to giggle.

"Just kidding!"

She kept just enough room for the Doctor to be able to keep a breath, her eyes occasionally looking over at Lucy as she watched in absolute horror.

He couldn't take it anymore. The Doctor fidgeted about in pain, and grabbed his neck as he was choking from the vector. More tears began to stream from his face. He could feel so much prodding and poking inside, he was worried the girl would shred him from the inside. Or that she'd pull an organ out for him to see.

"AAUUGGH...! AUUUGGGHH!" Mariko's vector muffled the Doctor's screaming, as saliva began to dribble out of his mouth the longer the vector remained in his throat. He gripped his neck tighter.

He had never known torture as this before. This needed to end.

"All done!" Mariko chirped.

The vector slowly pulled out of his body, out of his throat, and finally out of his mouth. The first thing the Doctor saw, however, was a floating hand. He thought he hallucinated seeing a bloody hand, but realization hit him hard.

It was Mariko's vector, floating above him, _covered in his blood and traces of viscera._

He gagged, and immediately curled into a ball, coughing and hacking until blood painted the pavement below him, as well as the bottom of his chin.

The Doctor saw Lucy pinned on the ground, and their eyes met. Lucy's eyes were wide in horror. Mariko made sure she saw _everything_. "L-Lucy-" The Doctor continued to hack up blood.

The elder beast's head was positioned by Mariko's vector so that she had to witness the immense amount of pain that her paternal figure was fighting off—Lucy felt so utterly useless, hissing and huffing like a pinned dog. Lips tugged back in a ferocious snarl, eyes sharpened and feral.

"Leave him ALONE!" She growls, that same expression still managing to harbor worry and woe for the Time Lord.

"Uh uh…! Mr. Doctor doesn't feel good!" Mariko corrected, yanking Lucy's head back down so that she could stop her growling.

"Now Mr. Doctor, if you keep coughing like that, you aren't going to get a lollipop!" The girl chirped, stopping for a moment to giggle behind her hands.

She was simply having the time of her life.

Knowing that this would not last for too much longer, the silpelit looked around, hoping that her escorts weren't anywhere close.

"Maybe it's big sister's turn for a check up?"

Pressed into the rubble, Lucy had developed an agitating headache due to the young silpelit's torment; this was all so surreal. Absolutely surreal.

Once again, the diclonius queen was left for dead, prepared to be moved back to the oppressive facility that she hated so, so much…

She had to get up.

She had to get up, grab the Time Lord, and get out of there.

Lucy writhes in pain on the ground, barely able to use her vectors in a well-functioning manner due to the immense amount of pain and stress rattling her body. She was trapped, trapped against the pavement. Useless.

"NO!" The Doctor coughed. "S-stop! Please...!"

"Mariko, that's enough."

The girl looked over at Hideo, who was keeping his distance as best he could. He was risking life and limb stopping Mariko, but they needed the subjects moved. And they needed them _now_.

"But... but... We're not done playing doctor!" Mariko whined. "Mr. Doctor hasn't gotten his lolipop yet!"

"There's gonna be more time for playing, Mariko." Said Hideo. "We have to get the subjects out of here."

The young Diclonius pouted. "You're no fun. I wanted to play with my new friend." She turned around and sat back on her wheelchair, wobbling as she did so.

"Sorry, Mr. Doctor!" Mariko said with a smile. "Looks like your treatment's gonna have to wait!"

Hideo armed his handgun as he aimed it towards the Doctor. "Watch the other one." He said to Hiroshi. "She's still dangerous. Make sure Number 35 doesn't try to kill her."

"Gotcha." Hiroshi said. "Just please make it quick. We've been here for too long."

Hideo made his way to the Doctor as he continued to hack up blood from Mariko's invasive vector. The first thing he saw was the sheen of the gun's metal pointing in his direction.

He looked up, silent. He was in no condition to defend himself. He felt sick.

"Get up." Hideo said. "You're coming with us. If you don't put up a fight, we won't hurt you."

The Doctor looked at Mariko, and then at Hideo, and back at Lucy. He needed her to flee back to the TARDIS. Whatever was in store for him, he did _not_ want her experiencing. He had come so far with Lucy's progress, that the Time Lord didn't want it to all come crashing down _now_.

He counted in his head.

_One..._

The Doctor looked at Lucy.

_Two..._

He smiled genuinely at his companion. If this didn't work, they'd probably kill him.

If it meant Lucy's protection...

_The Doctor welcomed death._

_**THREE!**_

What the Doctor did just moments later is what surprised the beast.

The Doctor punched Hideo with an uppercut, hitting him square in the jaw. Hideo crashed to the ground after receiving the heavy blow to his jaw, rifle thrown aside as he scrambles to grab it.

As Hideo stumbled, the Time Lord whirled around and pushed Mariko's wheelchair over, knocking the Diclonius off.

"Wa-Waaah!"

With a thud, she landed on her side, and her vectors relinquished their hold on Lucy.

And she is freed! Lucy could feel the vectors pull away as the little silpelit was pushed away by the Time Lord. Within moments, she is on her feet—dizzy, but able to function to a good enough degree.

"LUCY, RUN!" He shouted. "NOW'S YOUR CHANCE!"

At first, the horned beast wanted to try and fight, but it was all in vain. They would easily be able to overpower Lucy with Mariko's superior vectors.

One look at the fallen Time Lord, and the beast could feel the agony of the situation. He wanted her to run, but she just could not leave him behind. It wasn't like she could move anyways, due to being pinned to the ground.

"Shit–!" Hideo manages to grab his weapon, scuffling to his feet as he shouts out to his partner, "HIROSHI!"

The younger, more timid guard twitches somewhat, aiming at the Doctor's leg before pulling the trigger.

Lucy saw that coming, one of her own vectors lashing out to block the bullet, but she was not fast enough; her reflexes had been slowed due to the pain in her head.

"AAAHH!" The bullet had hit the Doctor's shin, crippling him as he clutched his wound. "Lucy!" He said, trying to stop the bleeding on his leg. _"I said get out of here! NOW!"_

Maroon eyes widen, her head whipping to the side in the direction of the guards.

"STAND DOWN!" Hideo commands, now able to raise his weapon properly—he glancesdquickly at Mariko, hoping that she would realize what she needed to do.

Lucy whipped her head back to the Doctor. "No! Not without you!"

Of course, the little silpelit assessed the situation, using her massive amount of vectors to push herself up off of the ground, grabbing at both the Time Lord and the elder diclonius.

Her behavior was much different than earlier—she was no longer happy and carefree, she appeared to be distraught, upset.

"We're not playing anymore!" Mariko cried, rubbing at a cut that she receiving on her knee after being pushed out of her wheelchair; actual tears, "You hurt me! You bad man! YOU BAD, BAD MAN!"

The two guards looked between themselves, before the older of the two spoke.

"Go and prepare the truck, we're bringing them in now."

"R-Right." Hiroshi turned and headed for the armored van.

As Lucy hung in the clutches of Mariko's vectors, she twitched—eyes wide like a captured animal, limbs tangled in an uncomfortable manner.

"I-It… Hurts…" A hiss. "It…HURTS…"

The Doctor was hanging like a captured bug in a spider's web. Was this his last moment of life? The end of his regeneration cycle, ended by a _child?_ This was worse than his encounter with the Instinct. Mariko, despite her childish behavior, was sadistic. She was a sick minded child, and it made the Doctor wretch inside. How could someone teach a child that killing was similar to play time?

The pain on his leg was astronomical, as it was bleeding freely. It didn't seem like they hit anything vital, but he needed to be patched up soon, otherwise he may pass out. That was, if this girl didn't kill them first.

"Wait, stop!" The Doctor was beyond frightened now. Even _he_ knew that nothing was scarier than an enraged child with special powers. And she held his life not just in her hand, but in each of the twenty-five vectors that gripped onto him and his companion.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you! Do you want me to say it? I'm scared!" The Doctor's eyes were wide as his breathing was ragged. "I'm frightened of you! You're a child who's treating torture as recess! It made me act so foolishly! We're sorry, honestly!"

Mariko looked up at the Doctor, her eyes filled with tears. "You're not sorry! You're a meanie! I HATE MEANIES!"

"Don't kill us, please!" He pleaded. "I'll do anything if you'll spare us! What do you want? I have Jelly Babies, a yo-yo, I have pop-up books, I have anything that you could want! I'll even be your friend! Just please..." Tears were starting to swell up, as he was starting to choke back sobs. "Please, don't kill me or my friend! I'm really sorry for hurting you. I mean that sincerely! I beg of you, please! Don't kill us!"

He lowered his head, as the Time Lord hyperventilated. The Doctor could never remember the last time he cried in fear. He had hurt a child, as well. Something he would have never done. And he may pay for that with his life. Perhaps even with his remaining Regenerations.

"Please... Don't kill us." The Doctor softly repeated as tears streamed down his face. "Please... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."

"Kill you…?"

Mariko's head tilted off to the side whimsically, silent for a moment before giving an unexpected giggle.

"Heheh–! I'm not allowed to kill you," a brief frown before smiling once more, "that would be against the rules—we're gonna go home, and then I can play with you MORE if you're a good boy! Big sister too!"

Mariko looked at the elder Diclonius.

"Big sister, aren't you excited to go home?" Mariko chirps, staring at her elder as she tried to escape. "Aren't you excited?"

Those words reverberate through Lucy's mind like bullets, chest expanding and decompressing in a good deal of stress. She didn't want to go back.

No...! That hellhole was NOT home!

NO…

**"EAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! NO! NO! NO!"**

A most ungodly screech could be heard all through the streets as Lucy jerked and yanked at Mariko's vectors, head whipping to and fro, limbs tugging violently. Her vectors had been cancelled out due to the silpelit's grasp on her head, but it did not prevent the beast from trying.

Lucy continued to try and break out of the silpelit's grasp, but was only grabbed with a more firm grasp; this was useless.

Death would be a much less cruel fate than what the beast herself was about to endure.

At least the Doctor would be kept alive... Or would he be put to death the moment that Lucy was secured and in custody?

"Mariko, bring them to the vehicle, please." Hideo murmured, handgun aimed at the elder diclonius in case she tried to pull any sort of attacks. The Time Lord did not appear to be much of a threat as he hung there crying his heart out for mercy.

Lucy was in an equally pathetic and desperate state; heavy breathing went hand in hand with her sobbing. Who would have thought that such a monster could cry like this? Crying in desperation and defeat, the diclonius attempted to cover her face in shame.

It was her fault if anything was to happen to either of them.

Her fault.

Had she just ignored the Time Lord when she moved through the countryside...

Had she never opened her heart in trust...

_None of this would have happened..._

"Yes, sir!" Mariko chirps happily, turning her head up to give one last look at her captives before rolling away, tugging them along.

An armored vehicle sat in an alleyway several blocks from where the final stand-off had unfolded; Hiroshi had made his way before the rest of them in order to prepare the restraints for the diclonius queen and her companion.

Of course, had any civilians seen this, there would have been a riot. The streets had been closed off, a direct order from the man in charge of the Kakuzawa Research Facility. Nobody would be there to witness as the two were stuffed away.

"Lift her head." Hideo ordered in a neutral, less than personal tone, watching as Hiroshi and Mariko pressed that all too familiar helmet onto Lucy's head. With that on, her vector usage would be limited. The heavy straitjacket and limb restraints would bolt her onto a bed similar to Mariko's, whom would join containment shortly.

Once Lucy was secured, the Doctor would be next.

His restraints were not as extreme; the helmet was left behind due to his lack of vectoral use, but he was bolted down right next to Lucy, arms and legs pinned like an insect in a web.

As the Time Lord was held down, Hiroshi gave him an unsure look. Wasn't this a little extreme, even for Director Kakuzawa's taste? He could understand the treatment that Lucy was receiving, but this man looked human! Did he honestly deserve this?

"What the devil are you doing...?" The Doctor asked. "I'm not a Diclonius! Do you see horns on my head?"

"Shut your mouth." Hideo snapped as he finished restraining him.

He turned to face the younger Diclonius.

"Thank you, Mariko." the older of the two guards commented. "It's time for you to get in too."

Mariko gave a smile as she was moved from her wheelchair and into the vehicle's restraints; play time wasn't over yet, she would have another chance to move freely before returning to where she belonged.

"I had a lotta fun with you two!" The girl smiles as a helmet is strapped onto her head before being laid out in her jacket—her breathing was now much more noticeable behind the mask that the helmet provided.

Hiroshi fumbled for a cellphone in his vest, grabbing it and pressing a number on speed dial. After a moment's ring, somebody answered.

"Director? We... we have the two of them. Operation: Queen Lord is a success. We're moving to the helicopter for evac."

When Kakuzawa answered the phone, a smug grin appears on his features. Glancing out of the window of his office and at the ocean, he chuckles.

"Good… We will be awaiting your arrival."

They had won.

As far as the Director was concerned.

Nobody had witnessed the capture of Lucy and the Doctor, not a single soul aware of what had happened. As far as the world was aware, the two of them simply vanished out of thin air.

At least, that was the assumption.

Mariko's presence had sparked the attention of another individual in Kamakura.

It wouldn't have been the first time, though.

* * *

Earlier that day, Nana and Mayu had made their way downtown to run errands for Yuka; the household needed groceries for the evening's dinner, and the two of them absolutely loved shopping for the family. It did not take long for the duo to find themselves at the markets by the beach, spoiling themselves with the money given to them.

"The weather is so nice! Aahhh… Nana loves nice days like this," the kind hearted silpelit sighs, carrying bags of produce in her physical arms, "—too bad Mr. Doctor and Lucy couldn't have joined us."

Mayu giggles to herself, listening to her friend daydream.

"They'll be back, I-I'm sure!" She smiles, "They promised to visit again. We can take them to ice cream the next time."

Nana's face lit up at that comment.

"R-really? That'd be great!"

She was prepared to go up to another vendor for fresh squid, when a horrific gut feeling panged her, like a knife in her stomach.

"…Wh…What?"

Bags are dropped as Nana's eyes widen, hands grabbing the sides of her head.

"N-No... you should be dead…" Her tone is barely that of a whisper; she recognized that feeling! Diclonii could sense the presence of their own species, and this feeling—it was dangerous—just like that dreadful day in Yuigahama.

With a shocked and concerned face, Mayu reached and grabbed at her friend's shoulder.

"Nana–? What's wrong?"

She is quickly cut off as Nana dashes forward, following her diclonius sense in the direction that she felt it coming from.

"WE HAVE TO HURRY! THEY'RE IN DANGER!"

* * *

The sirens had died down from earlier as Nana dashed through the streets—she swore she felt the presence of Mariko! The silpelit that had been killed in the explosion with her dear papa! Stressful tears stream down the worried girl's face as she and Mayu ran—they ran and ran and ran.

Nana didn't want anybody else being hurt because of that monstrous Number 35!

"Nana, please! Slow down!" Mayu calls out, panting for air as they ran. She was exhausted.

But Nana did not listen, she continued to run as fast as her prosthetics allowed her to.

She ran, finally coming across the sight of the facility vehicle. Nana had shown up just in time to see the Time Lord being dragged inside.

"N-NO!" She crieed out, tripping on herself and onto the ground.

"H-HELP…! Nana will h-help!"

The vehicle began to drive away; Hideo planned to navigate in the direction of Yuigahama Beach to where a helicopter would take them away to their final destination. As long as they made it from point A to point B, their mission would be complete.

"STOP!" Nana screams, allowing her vectors to stop controlling her prosthetics long enough to lash out and grab the back wheels of the truck. Her grip was just strong enough bring it to a halt, just before she began to be dragged along.

"What the hell?" The guard curses under his breath, checking the mirrors to see what was grabbing them, extremely surprised to see Number 7 present; she was supposed to be dead! That is what had been reported the day that they failed to recapture Lucy. Both the original Mariko and Nana were supposedly killed!

"Fuck..." he grumbled, jamming his foot on the gas to go faster.

But Nana refused to let go. Two of her vectors planted firmly into the ground, the other two grabbing—pulling—she would flip it if she had to.

Hiroshi flicked his head about. "Hideo! What the hell's happening!?"

"Nnggh..." Hideo grunted, flooring the gas. "There's another one! Another Diclonius!"

"What...!?" Hiroshi looked at the side mirror, and widened his eyes.

"Hideo!" He shouted. "It's Number 7! How...!?"

"I don't know, Hiroshi. But we need to get out of here _now._"

Nana could not hold on to the truck for too long. She lacked true stamina.

"STOP PLEASE–! Nana can't—Nana isn't strong enough!" The tiny silpelit cries out.

_'Let me in child. . .'_

As the young silpelit laments, she hears the presence of a voice that had not been active in quite some time: her own Instinct.

"I-I need to help my friends…!"

_'Then let me do it. You and I know that I am stronger than you. . . I will save them. For us.'_

"Please…" Her voice is muffled in the ground as her tiny body pushed and pushed and pushed to keep up her strength.

Nana would do anything to help her friends, even surrendering control to the Instinct within.

And with that—the girl would become a very different creature than she was before.

Abruptly, the strength of her vectors double, giving the silpelit enough strength to completely pull the armored vehicle back. An empty expression plagued Nana's face.

_"I'll kill you if you don't let my friends go..."_ she droned, her limbless body being pushed upwards, bangs tangling and covering her face.

With that, Hideo made his way out of the truck, Hiroshi grabbing onto the steering wheel. Handgun prepare, he aimed, ready to shoot at the rabid silpelit.

"We don't have enough room to bring in another one." he grunted, "I will just have to terminate you on the spot."

He shoots a few bullets, despite the fact that they are blocked by one of Nana's vectors.

_"You can't kill me."_ Nana asserts, lashing out to try and retaliate against Hideo. Another vector slithers out, prepared to decapitate the elder guard, when...

**PANG!**

"AH…!" Nana screams.

Hiroshi had clamored out of the car, running behind and shooting at the rabid silpelit.

"Die, you bitch!"

One shot to the back was all it took to knock her over, bleeding.

"S-should we take this one in too?!" Hiroshi stammers, stressed and flighty; this was just too much. "We can't take anymore chances, Hideo! We're already in deep shit as it is!"

"Just leave it." the older one barked in complaint, "It doesn't have any arms and legs. It'll just bleed out."

Nana's instinct had fled the moment that she was shot, leaving the young girl on the ground. The pain prevented her from using her vectors to reattach the prosthetics. And so she lay in defeat, eyes watching Hideo and Hiroshi return to the vehicle and drive away.

She would certainly die if nobody came to her rescue.

If only Chief Kurama were here, he would have helped her. . .

"P-pa…Pa…"

* * *

The Doctor heard Nana's cry. Had she come to save them...? And the gunfire. They couldn't have...

Did they _kill_ her?

"Nana..." He whispered. "No..."

He closed his eyes, as more tears streamed down his face.

"Not Nana..."

* * *

Nana can barely hear the sound of Mayu's voice yelling out to her as both eyes shut.

She had lost them. Her friends had been captured, and a terrible fate awaited the both of them.

A single tear shed, and flowed down her cheek as her head limped down to the concrete.

Nana had failed.

Lucy and the Doctor were gone.


End file.
